


London Shadow Mage

by HB Kit (Hawaiianbabidoll)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Action/Adventure, Book 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Crossover, Friendship, Gen, HP - Freeform, Shadow magic, no yaoi, no yuri, ygo, yugioh - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-02-11
Updated: 2017-06-25
Packaged: 2017-11-09 23:11:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 163,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/459530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hawaiianbabidoll/pseuds/HB%20Kit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Battle City, Ryou Bakura has returned to England at the request of his father. Ryou was hoping for a stress free summer, but trouble seems to always track him down. It’s the summer after Voldemort’s return and the muggle world is still blissfully unaware of the danger that is lurking about. Harry is finding life at the Dursley’s suffocating until he meets the new boy down the street. Little does Harry know, his new muggle friend isn’t as magic-less as he seems. Unfortunately, another dark wizard has noticed…</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Harthrow House

**Author's Note:**

> I'd just like to say now that I'm not really a diehard fan of Harry Potter nor Yu-Gi-Oh. I don't think I even managed to get through the first season of YGO Duelists. I just love Ryou Bakura and this story idea wouldn't leave me alone.
> 
> I apologize if I miss details about either series. I try to do a little research as I type, but I'm not infallible so I'm betting there will be mistakes.
> 
> /Ryou and Bakura mind link/
> 
> Koe – Voice (What Ryou calls the spirit of the ring)
> 
> Yadonushi – Landlord (What the spirit calls Ryou)

The sky was darkened by the gray clouds, forming a barrier between the sun and the streets of London. Nothing spoke and the silence was only made more eerie by the layer of fog that had decided to cling low to the ground. The city held no energy this morning, too tired and perhaps too aware of the grim future that seemed to be crawling closer with each passing day.

A young boy stood calmly, surrounded by small mounds of stone. The rain poured down, soaking the boy through his thick coat. He didn't mind it. In fact, he didn't even seem to be aware of the pelting water or the icy cold wind that would normally send a chill up his spine. He sighed, at last moving from his petrified place among the stones, bending down and laying a hand on the smooth granite before him.

" Good bye Amane. Mother. I'll be sure to visit again soon."

The boy's voice was just the barest whisper, but he knew they heard him. He could always count on them to hear him when he needed someone to talk to. Especially Amane.

He stood, rubbing his eye with his palm before realizing a soaked hand would do him no good. He smiled at the graves one last time and then turned away, heading back towards the road. He brushed a sodden white bang away from his eyes and raised his hand to hail a cab. He was relieved when one finally pulled up. The driver didn't seem to mind that his passenger was thoroughly soaked. Not many people were out in this weather, so he was probably just glad to have a paying customer.

"Where can I take you?" He asked in a polite tone. The boy was looking out the window, staring at the entrance to the cemetery he had just walked out of.

"Little Whinging please."

0

As the car pulled up, Ryou dipped his head in thanks and paid the driver. He turned his attention to the old house he called home years ago. He blinked slowly, letting a breath escape between his parted lips, before he headed towards the door. The house was overgrown with weeds and ivy snaked its way up the delicate gray brickwork. Ryou wasn't surprised to see the windows were shattered or that broken beer bottles surrounded the steps. His family hadn't been to this house in years and it was most likely assumed to be abandoned. Ryou tugged his bag over a pile of garbage and finally reached the door. His pale hand traced the round bronze doorknob, remembering the last time he had gone through this door. This time however, his little sister wouldn't be there to greet him. His mother wouldn't be there to ask him how school went. His father… his father should have been there. Ryou had been expecting to see him waiting at the airport. But he wasn't. He shouldn't have been surprised. This was what always happened and he should be used to it by now.

Ryou reached into his pocket and plunged the key into the old door. With a creak it slowly opened, revealing the dark dusty living room that had held Ryou's childhood. He stepped in and closed the door behind him. He left his shoes on, not really wanting to chance a shard of glass in his foot on his first day back in England.

The place was filthy.

He walked further inside, draping his long black coat on a hook, letting it drip on the floor. The place needed a good cleaning anyway, so he decided the water trail he was leaving behind would only help. Ryou's hand gently traced the edge of the couch as he walked behind it. The delicate fabric that covered the furniture was a revolting shade of yellow gray when it had once been white. Hopefully it had done its job of protecting its treasure beneath it from sharing the same fate. With a quick tug, Ryou pulled away the cover and let the burgundy fabric taste air again for the first time in ten years. Ryou let his eyes drift towards the door where his luggage was wet and waiting. He stifled a yawn and rested his hand on the banister that led upstairs. He brought only a single suitcase to England so it wouldn't take long to unpack, but it could wait until later. The boy rang his hair out, letting the water pool on the wooden floor. He grabbed his bag and he headed upstairs. The hallway was just as dark as the sky outside and Ryou wasn't really in the mood to see if the lights were still working. He ghosted his way down the hall, his boots crunching as glass crushed under their rubber soles. At last he reached a pale wooden door. He rested his hand on it gently and pushed it open. His old room. He smiled a smile that didn't seem to reach his eyes and made his way over to his old bed. Another tug on a fabric covering and the mattress was revealed. He pulled off his heavy boots, soaked socks, and clinging shirt, leaving him in nothing but his black pants and a glittering ring that sat against his chest. With another yawn he crawled onto the mattress, not bothering to find a sheet or a blanket, and started working on getting over his jet lag.

0

It was the loud slam that first caught Harry's attention. He lifted his head from his pillow, grabbing his glasses and slipping them on. His feet swung around the bed and he lazily made his way over to the door. The noise coming from below was going to ensure he wasn't getting back to sleep anytime soon anyway. He pulled the door open, slightly surprised it wasn't locked but then remembered that his aunt and uncle were still awake so they probably just hadn't gotten around to bolting it shut yet. He walked down the steps to find his cousin shaking and stuttering in some sort of attempt to tell his mother and father what he just saw. All Harry could really make out was rock, glass, and ghost. He was about to head back upstairs when Dudley caught sight of him and instantly grabbed his arm.

"Harry! Harry, you're magic, you gotta kill it!" He barked before rambling some more about whatever it was he apparently wanted Harry to 'kill'. Vernon seemed a bit angry his son had turned to Harry for help, but was more concerned with calming Dudley than Harry's sudden appearance. It took a minute for his chubby cousin to finally settle himself into coherency.

"I'm being serious! I saw a ghost. It had to be a ghost." The boy started after Petunia had asked him to explain what happened.

"Me and my buddies were walking by that old Harthrow place right? You know, the one that ain't been lived in forever? Yeah, well I… I mean, Jay, thought it would be funny to try to shatter another window. I tried to talk him out of it, but you know. Anyway, it was a perfect shot, nothing could have better aim. That's when we heard it though. A really loud thump!" Petunia was patting her son's hand, looking between Dudley and Vernon. Naturally Harry's uncle was going to make this as far from mystical as he could.

"Now now son, I'm sure it was just something in the house falling over. There are no such things as ghost." Instantly Vernon was cut off.

"But dad, I SAW it. We were looking up at the house, and we saw something white in the window. It moved I tell ya! Some white thing! It HAD to be a ghost. It was probably THE ghost!" It was at this point Dudley turned to Harry again.

"So you gotta go kill it Potty." He said with complete seriousness. Harry merely raised an eyebrow.

"You want me to kill a ghost? You are aware that ghosts are already dead?" He replied with a bored yet somewhat mocking tone. There was no way a ghost had decided to show up here anyway. It was probably just a curtain blowing in the wind now that the window was broken. Dudley wasn't the brightest kid.

"Well then banish it to wherever ghosts come from then! What if it really is the ghost they say haunts that house? If we don't do something, it'll steal our souls." Dudley growled at his cousin, disliking the way Harry was brushing this off. He only grew angrier when Harry rolled his eyes. The only thing that could steal souls was a dementor and if there was a dementor nearby, he'd know. Harry started to ignore Dudley's rantings, instead wondering curiously how the soul stealing ghost rumors first started. He was maybe four or five when the family that lived in that old house moved away. Rumors had spread that kids who went over to that house ended up in the hospital and that they never woke up. It was kind of silly to think that could happen though. Kids had been using that old place for a hangout for years now and nothing bad has happened to them.

"Look son, calm down. I'm sure there was nothing there. Why don't you go and check it again tomorrow huh?" Uncle Vernon seemed a bit desperate to get his son to stop asking Harry of all people for help. After awhile though, Dudley finally quieted about the matter and Harry was able to return to his room for some sleep. It was already two in the morning. Three hours wasted thanks to his idiotic cousin.

He thought that would be the end of it too, but no. Ten o'clock and the black haired boy was being wrenched from his bed and ordered to get dressed. He didn't even have the chance to grab some breakfast before his insane cousin was pushing him out the door.

"Are you serious?" Harry glared at Dudley, who glared right back.

"I'm telling the truth about this and you're going to go in and check the place out"

Harry stared at his cousin. Was he serious?

"That's private property. I'm not just going to break into someone's house" He replied, though followed after his heavy set cousin. Dudley actually laughed at him.

"Oh please, even YOU know nobody lives there. The place was abandoned years ago after that girl got hit by a car." Dudley said with a roll of his eyes. "There. Now… go in" Harry blinked and looked over. They had made it here in record time… he didn't even realize how fast they were going. It wasn't like the Harthrow place was just down the street. It was a few blocks away.

Harry glanced up at the house, still unimpressed. He could see the freshly broken window but otherwise the place was exactly the same. There was pressure on his back and he was propelled forward.

"Hey, what the hell!" He growled at his cousin, who was still pushing him onward.

"I get it now Potty, you're a chicken. Well, maybe the ghost will go away if it eats you. So move it" Dudley was just too big for Harry to physically fight off and the door was right in front of him now anyway. The two boys just stared at the door a moment.

"What now genius?" Harry said flatly. Dudley glared at him then motioned to the window. It, like most of the building, was broken. Dudley was even 'kind' enough to give Harry a boost through.

Once inside, Harry looked around. It wasn't the first time he had looked inside and honestly he'd been in thrown in here before by Dudley's little gang as a joke. It still looked dark, dirty, and dilapidated. He stood up straight and headed back towards the door. With a click the door was unlocked and Dudley carefully stepped inside. He seemed wary but more so mischievous. Harry rolled his eyes again. His cousin probably wanted to vandalize the place some more.

He started walking over to the sofa once he noticed it was uncovered. The wind probably blew the cover off. The least he could do after his cousin had broken another window was re-cover the furniture. He was almost there when his feet suddenly went out from under him. He landed with a nasty thud on the floor which got a round of roaring laughter from his cousin. He turned his head to glare yet again at his overweight relative and his hands flattened against the floor with a light splash. A splash? His green eyes looked down at the ground and traced the trail of drying water from the door. It had rained the previous morning and apparently somebody came inside to get out of the storm. Maybe that was what Dudley had seen. A squatter.

Harry pushed himself to his feet and dusted himself off, ignoring the still laughing Dudley behind him. The puddle he had slipped in was fairly large and he wondered what in the hell someone did to dump that much water in a single place. He was also curious to see if the squatter was still in the house. A creak echoed in the room and both his and his cousin's eyes jumped to the ceiling.

"Do you think it's the soul stealer?" Dudley whispered. Harry just gave his cousin a look. Ghosts didn't even make footstep sounds, so … wait. Footsteps? Someone was coming down the stairs. The two boys had their eyes glued to the staircase as the palest kid Harry had ever seen came into view. In the darkness of the room, his white hair and pasty skin almost seemed to glow. The fact he was wearing some pale blue shirt and the lightest possible jeans you could find wasn't helping. Dudley actually jumped when he first saw the kid and for a moment, Harry wondered if it really was a ghost. It was this wondering that made him miss what the kid said.

"S-sorry. What?" He asked, now completely embarrassed. Why should he be embarrassed though? This kid was a squatter. He had broken into the house too, so he was no better than Harry. Actually, was he even a he? Harry wasn't positive.

"I asked what you're doing in my house. How did you get in here?" The white haired kid repeated, giving the duo an curious stare. He didn't really seem angry, but he did look wary. Harry gestured to the window but quickly returned his attention to the person on the steps.

"Sorry. My idiot cousin thought there was a ghost here. Do you really live here?" Harry was curious now. There was no way after leaving the house for so long to rot that the owners would just suddenly come back. He waited curiously for an answer, staring back into those soft brown eyes. Harry flinched a bit when the kid's eyes grew incredibly cold.

"Get out. I should have you arrested for trespassing on my property. And you." Harry felt relieved. Those dark cold eyes were no longer trained on him, but rather his cousin. "You're the one that broke my window last night. You had BETTER be willing to pay for it. I bet some of the other windows were your handy work too weren't they?" The kid growled as he stepped closer to the two boys. Harry stepped back without even thinking. He couldn't say why, but this kid was making him very uncomfortable all of a sudden. Curiosity be damned, Harry wasn't in the mood to play questions and answers anymore. Dudley seemed to have gotten his second wind now that he knew there was no ghost, but even he was hesitant to stand up to those piercing eyes.

"You've got no proof I did it" Was tubby's immaculate reply. If it was even possible, the white haired kid's eyes hardened even more.

"I said get out" He hissed, a silent threat in his tone. "Now."

Harry and Dudley didn't wait to be told a third time, though they were too proud to just run out the door. They walked quickly and in Dudley's case, arrogantly. As he reached the pavement, Harry peeked over his shoulder to catch one last fleeting look at the stranger. The kid was standing in the doorway, still glaring, with his arms crossed over his chest.


	2. PS: I'm Famous

Harry Potter followed quietly after his cousin, reflecting on what had happened. The door to the Dursley's house clicked closed and Harry headed straight towards the kitchen for a much needed lunch break. Dudley must have been thinking the same thing. Harry felt himself roughly pushed into the wall and the miscreant in question sauntered to the fridge. Harry decided on just grabbing a bagel and he took a seat to eat in peace. Petunia was cooing over her 'Dudders' as he told her about the encounter. Apparently Harry broke into the house and Dudley ran in to get him out. It was thanks to Dudley, of course, that the owner wasn't going to press charges for trespassing.

Harry rolled his eyes and continued to ignore his so called family as they sat down at the opposite side of the table with their own meals.

"So like I said, it wasn't a ghost. That's just stupid thinking. A guy lives there who must bleach his hair. It was white as milk." Dudley continued to explain to his beloved mommy. Harry glanced at the two. His curiosity was biting at him, so he might as well take advantage of the conversation.

"Aunt Petunia? Do you remember who used to own that house?" He asked, tinting his voice with that forced politeness he once used all the time back when he lived under the stairs. She turned to stare at him, shocked he had spoken and acting like he had just cursed her out or something. At last she decided to answer.

"Ah, yes. It was a family, oh now what was their family name… Ba –ba –ba … It began with a B. Oh their poor little daughter. Oh I can't imagine what it would be like to lose a loved one" She said, turning her eyes to her sweet little dudder-kins. She seemed to seriously hold pity in her voice, a pity she would never use when it came to Harry's situation. Harry felt his teeth clench but said nothing more. Although his aunt was clearly a well of information, he left the kitchen and headed upstairs. His uncle was still at work and Dudley would be eating for at least another half hour. He made his way to his cousin's room and clicked on the computer.

With a few quick clicks, Harry was searching for 'The Harthrow House' and 'car accident' on the internet. It really didn't take long to find what he was looking for. Accidents that bad weren't exactly common in Little Whinging. He clicked on an appropriate article and started skim reading. He couldn't help but feel a stab of pity as he read about the crash. The car was crushed, as were the passengers within it. Finally he found a name.

"Bakura. There has got to be a picture of you somewhere in this article" He muttered to himself. He paused, thinking about the boy he saw that day. He wasn't sure if he'd even be able to recognize the kid even if he did see a picture. It was an old article and kids looked a lot different than teenagers. That and the stranger he saw this morning obviously dyed his hair. With another quick scroll he stopped, staring in surprise. Okay, so maybe it was natural.

A small photo on the screen showed a very young boy being held by an older man with dark blue hair. The boy's own mane of hair was messy and so very very white. The child was crying into the shoulder of who Harry could only assume was the boy's father. Harry leaned back in his chair. So the kid really was the owner of the house.

0

Ryou felt a chill run down his spine and he let out a hefty sneeze.

"I guess I need to board up the downstairs windows until I can call someone to repair them." He said out loud. He knew nobody was around to hear him, but that didn't mean nobody was listening. He picked up a broom and was just starting to clean up the glass in the upstairs hallway when he received a reply.

/Would you like them to be my rent Yadonushi?/

Another chill shot through the boy's spine, accompanied with his whole body tensing. "Please don't hurt anyone here Koe. I don't want to draw any attention to us!" He said quickly, looking around. He stopped immediately. He knew very well he'd never see ' Koe' in person. He was just a voice in his head. Just a voice.

/Am I really 'just a voice'?/ chuckled the spirit that lived within the ring. Ryou placed a hand on his chest, feeling the warm metal press against him. He let out another sneeze and the chuckling turned into a groan.

/This is what happens when you stand in the rain for an hour, stupid Yadonushi. Don't get the body sick./

Ryou looked down at the ground and continued to sweep.

Ryou managed to get the hall clear of debris but he was a bit disappointed the lights didn't work. Hopefully it was just because the light bulbs were old and he wouldn't have to mess with the fuse box. He wasn't really good with wires.

/I can handle it Yadonushi. It'll be good practice for working with English wiring…/

Ryou chose not to respond this time. Surely Koe, the spirit, was just baiting him. He couldn't be thinking of stealing already could he? No no it was way too soon. Like the spirit said, he didn't know much about wiring here yet so he wouldn't be able to disarm the alarms and electronic locks.

/Don't underestimate me Yadonushi. Practice or no, I would still make a clean getaway. You don't have to worry about our body being captured/

That wasn't what Ryou was worrying about.

0

Ryou sighed and wiped his brow. His white hair was tied back in a spiky ponytail to keep it out of his face while he was working. The house was still in pretty bad shape, but at least all the glass was picked up and the furniture was uncovered. He even managed to properly mop the living room floor and unpack all his clothes. His stomach growled at him, reminding him he hadn't eaten since he got off the plane yesterday morning. He glanced at his watch. 4 PM already, no wonder his body was making such a fuss.

He left his hair up but changed his dirty shirt to something less grime covered before heading out the door. He had cleaned the fridge and the kitchen area as soon as all the glass was up so he didn't have to worry about putting groceries on a dirty counter. That was good. He'd need to stock the fridge anyway since he'd be here all summer. He was still a bit upset his father wasn't here yet, but he said he'd call that night. Maybe he was just going to be a little late.

Ryou kept that thought in mind as he made his way to the supermarket. He perused the isles with practiced ease. Picking out the good groceries was second nature when you live by yourself, cooking for yourself, for so long. He was so engrossed in his shopping, he didn't realize the man in front of him before bumping into him.

"Ah! Gomen… Uh, Sorry." He said quickly with a slight bow. The bowing was the only thing that really curbed the man's over-reactive rage. It was like a pat on the ego for the man and he almost even smiled at the boy before him. He thought better of it when he saw that ridiculous hairdo and rather ratty clothing.

"Yes yes child, just don't let it happen again" The man finally snapped as Ryou straightened up. The man dusted himself off before walking on. Ryou stared after him. How had he missed THAT? The man was huge! He blushed as he heard chuckling in the back of his mind. The spirit of the ring was completely supportive of Ryou's indirect insult about the man's weight. He quickened his pace around the store, this time making sure to watch where he was going.

The girl at the counter gave him a funny look after she rang up the bread, milk, eggs, meat, fish, a few other food products… and ten boxes of light bulbs. Ryou gave her his best innocent smile. "Um… heh. Whole house needs replacements." He answered her unasked question and she couldn't help but return his smile. They were infectious when they came from the white haired boy. At last, with either arm full of bags, he was headed back to his crumbling old house. He turned the corner to his street and saw a small group of boys huddled around the fence that surrounded his front yard.

"Can I help you?" He asked and he honestly did get a slight amount of amusement when they all jumped and spun around to face him. Not as much as the spirit in his mind, but still.

One of the boys straightened up. Ryou recognized him. He was one of the two that broke into his house that morning. What did he want now?

"Told ya he was real" He said to his buddies, completely ignoring Ryou's question and blocking his way to his house. The other two boys straightened themselves up beside the chubby boy and smiled in that condescending way as they sized up the grocery wielding girly boy.

"Yeah, but you didn't say it was a girl. You ARE a girl right? No self respecting man would have hair THAT long," chided one of the boys as he reached out and tugged one of Ryou's albino locks.

"Come on little girl, show us some of your ghostly powers" Now the second one was in on the taunting, evening taking the chance to give Ryou a strong shove and knocking the boy to the ground. Ryou didn't like the sound of that crash from his bag. He didn't like seeing those two guys stepping towards him even more. It was the chubby one that stopped them, tapping one of them on the shoulder and motioning down the street. A skinny black haired boy was coming their way. Ryou felt sick. It was another of the chubby one's posse. He had been in his house this morning too. He quickly returned his attention to the larger boys standing over him, and was momentarily surprised to see their attention was completely trained on the approaching boy. They even looked slightly disgusted. Ryou debated whether or not he should risk drawing their attention back to him by moving, or if he should just sit still.

/Those who do nothing get nothing/

Ryou blinked. He hadn't expected his voice to pipe up now, especially with something that vaguely resembled advice.

'But good things come to those who wait.' Ryou thought silently. The dark chuckle he received as a reply was much more like the Koe he knew.

/Then wait as I take over and show you how to defend this body/ came the voice's reply. Ryou suddenly had a terrible feeling of dread at what the spirit would do and decided he'd risk moving. He cringed at the sound of rustling plastic as he stood and stepped away from the rather muscular teenager that had pushed him down. The rustling did as Ryou feared. The boy turned his attention to Ryou and grabbed his arm.

"Where are you going girly?" The boy asked with a smirk. His grip tightened and Ryou flinched. He could feel the spirit of the ring growing restless as well.

"What are you doing to him? What, did you run out of puppies to kick?" Ryou's eyes darted over to the boy who spoke. It was the boy with the glasses. He had summoned the other three's attention, but why?

"Potty, trying to be a big man today? How noble," the chubby chuckled. The one he called 'Potty' glared at him and reached for something in his pocket.

"Dudley. You remember my friend Hagrid right? He showed me this interesting trick involving a pig's tail. Do you want to see it?" he asked. Strange, the question seemed innocent, but the tone was venomous. Ryou's eyes drifted to the one called Dudley. His face drained of color and he was stepping back, urging his cronies to follow.

"Be happy I'm in a good mood. I just… don't want to mess you up in front of the new kid and give him a bad impression of the neighborhood" Barked Dudley, though Ryou felt this threat was hollow. His arm was released and he watched the trio march away in a huff.

"Sorry about them. They like to pretend they're tough, but they're pretty spineless." The sound drew Ryou's attention back to the boy with the glasses. He stared at him a moment, not saying a word. The boy seemed to sense the awkward silence forming and thrust out a hand.

"I'm Harry Potter." He announced, hand outstretched and waiting. Ryou blinked again, taking a moment to glance at his occupied hands. Harry also appeared to notice as he soon slipped his hands into his pockets. "Ah, do you … need any help?" He finally asked. Now Ryou was suspicious.

"Asking permission this time? Breaking in is too boring now?" he honestly could use the help, but really, this kid was in his house this morning! That was just creepy. The boy, Harry, blushed just the slightest bit.

"I'm sorry about that too. We thought the place was abandoned. Not that that's an excuse. I… you know what? I should probably just go." He finally said, looking anywhere but Ryou's face. The white haired boy couldn't just let him leave like that without showing his gratitude. If he hadn't stepped in, who knows what the spirit of the ring would have done to those poor kids. This time he was the one that looked down at the ground.

"Look um… thanks for the help back there." He murmured. Harry looked back and smiled faintly.

"Yeah. Anytime." Ryou nodded and headed up the path to his house, well aware of a pair of green eyes trailing him as he moved. He placed one of the bags on the ground, keeping it upright by using his leg to pin it against the wall, and fished out the key to the house. Once the door was open he picked up the bag again and started inside. He paused a moment, turning to look at Harry.

"I'm Ryou. Ryou Bakura." He said before he headed inside and closed the door.

0

Harry watched the boy head inside. Any doubts he had about the kid being the legitimate owner were gone now. He really was a Bakura. Harry turned and continued heading home. It was strange. The boy he just saw seemed different from the kid from that morning. Even his eyes seemed gentler. In his first encounter with him he had seemed so hostile. He really seemed like the type of person who would gladly pick a fight. Then again, he knew he wouldn't exactly be very civil if he came downstairs to find two teenage boys in his house doing who knew what.

As he slipped into the Dursley's house, he heard the familiar sound of his aunt's voice. Quiet as a mouse, he started heading through the living room towards the kitchen. His aunt was sitting on the couch, avidly gossiping with one of her friends. She was so absorbed she didn't even notice her nephew come in.

"Did you hear someone moved into the old Harthrow house?"

"I did! I haven't seen them myself, but I was talking to the cashier at the market and she said she saw a stranger in the checkout line"

"Oh did she? Did she say what they looked like?"

"It was a boy with white hair. White hair! He must have been doing the grocery shopping for his parents. We should welcome them to the neighborhood"

"Wait white hair? My my, I wonder if it really WAS a Bakura."

Harry stopped and turned to stare at his aunt. She DID know his name. Why didn't she just say so when he asked her? He audibly groaned and stomped into the kitchen, bringing his dear aunt out of her little gossip world and alerting her to his presence. When he returned to the living room with a glass of water and plopped himself onto the couch, an uneasy silence filled the house. His aunt finally decided to say goodbye to her friend and another uncomfortable silence followed. Petunia seemed incredibly relieved when her husband came in followed closely by Dudley. Dudley instantly planted himself on the couch and turned on the television.

The Dursleys effectively ignored Harry as they talked about their day, and Harry preferred it this way. He idly watched the television, not really seeing nor caring what was on. Well, he didn't care until Dudley's eyes grew as wide as saucers. Then he focused on the image on screen.

It was Ryou Bakura.

A commercial was playing on the television advertising a game called Duel monsters. Harry could recall some of the kids talking about it when he visited the park earlier. It was apparently all the rage in other parts of the world and ever since an English boy placed in the finals of some big tournament, it was steadily growing in popularity here in England.

Well, Harry really hadn't been expecting the boy to be Ryou, but there he was on the screen with one of those fancy holographic projectors strapped to his arm and a hand full of monster cards. As the commercial finally ended, Harry noticed the room had grown quiet again. Petunia was looking back and forth between the three boys, clearly confused. Vernon looked at his son and called his attention.

"Dudley. You said you met the new neighbors right? Well son, what were their names?" He asked. Harry looked at him curiously. Why did his uncle suddenly care?

Dudley shrugged. "I don't know, I didn't ask. But it was definitely that guy who was just on the TV. Hey… do you think he's famous?" He asked, giving his attention to his parents. Petunia seemed to perk up at that bite of information.

"Oh a celebrity in our little town? Just wait until the girls hear" She chimed. What surprised Harry was what came out of his uncle's mouth next.

"And he's such a polite young man. It's a rare thing to find a young man who can make a name for himself AND keep his manners." Harry waited and blinked. Did his uncle just compliment Ryou?

"How do you know Ryou?" He asked, drawing all three sets of eyes to him. Surprisingly Vernon's tone wasn't angry.

"Is that his name? Ryou. Well I agree with you Petunia, perhaps we should make Ryou and his family feel more welcome to the neighborhood." Harry closed his eyes and wondered what was going through his uncle's head. He could only assume it was because Ryou was on the television. That must have made him an instant celebrity to the Dursleys. But was Ryou really a celebrity? Harry was growing more and more curious about the boy. Tomorrow he would look him up online while his uncle and Dudley were out. If he was really THAT famous, he was sure he'd find something. He smiled a bit and headed to his room.

0

Ryou let out a satisfied sigh. He picked up his plate and cleaned it, placing it in the drying rack along with his fork, knife, and cup. The kitchen made him feel a bit better about being back in England. It was also currently the only part of the house with working light bulbs. Most of the bulbs he bought were still intact, but he did have to throw out three whole boxes along with a couple of eggs that were smashed beyond repair. The eggs that were just lightly cracked he decided to use on dinner. Having a full belly really seemed to energize him. He decided to use his new energy to cover up the windows. The sooner he did the safer he'd feel, not that a mere cover would do much to stop someone who really wanted to get in. Still, the last thing he needed was for someone to get hurt in his house thanks to a certain spirit claiming residence in his head. Why was he wearing the ring again?

He stopped walking. He was surprised by the intense quiet. Koe wasn't saying a word. He had expected some sort of snarky reply from the voice in his head.

/hmph, Puh-lease, I'm NOT snarky. /

Ryou smiled and continued towards the windows. He used the covers that had been on the furniture to conceal the broken windows. He was greeted with pleasant warmth when he finished covering them all. The draft had only helped in making the house even less welcoming. Ryou took his attention off of the windows and sat down on the sofa.

"Hey… Koe? It's kinda gloomy here isn't it?" He asked, staring at the dull wall with an empty face.

/That's because you haven't replaced the lights yet Yadonushi./

Ryou smiled when he got a reply. He didn't have conversations with Koe very often. Usually the spirit either slid in his snide remarks and went quiet, or he simply didn't respond to Ryou's questions.

/shut up and change the lights. I don't want you tripping over something in the dark and injuring our body./

Ryou smiled even wider. "But Koe, I didn't say anything" He replied.

/You know what I mean Yadonushi/

Ryou's smile faltered. The tone the spirit had used frightened him. The voice had a way of making completely mundane sentences sound threatening and he was exercising that skill now. Ryou stood up and quickly made his way over to the light bulbs.

With one last twist, the light bulb was in place. Ryou sighed. Ten sets of two-packs ran out surprisingly fast. He thought 20 bulbs would be enough, but then he ended up breaking six of them, four were used in the kitchen, five in the living room, one over the door, two in the downstairs bathroom, and the last three he put in the dining room. He glanced at the stairs. Tomorrow he'd have to buy even more bulbs to replace the ones upstairs. This house was just too big for one person to fix up. It wasn't made for one person… it was made for four.

His chest ached at the thought and he held the banister for support. The house suddenly felt incredibly lonely.

"Koe?"

Silence.

0

Harry bided his time, waiting until he heard the sound of the front door slam closed and the echo of the engine drive down the street before he finally stepped out of his room. His uncle was taking his cousin to work today and his aunt was out with her friends for a girl's night. He had the house to himself. It was days like these that made the summers at the Dursleys bearable.

He made some toast in the kitchen and grabbed a bottle off soda. For good measure, he snagged an apple and a bag of chips before walking up to Dudley's room and booting up the computer.

All he had to do was type in 'Ryou Bakura' and the results were instant. He had expected maybe a few little articles here and there mentioning him in passing, but Duel Monsters was bigger than he thought. Ryou Bakura even had a fansite.

He had to skip many of the search results. He wasn't exactly fluent in scribbly lines. English articles were still common though. This card game thing was huge in America too.

Skim reading through most of the articles gave him a general idea of this game Ryou apparently played. According to the sites, he was ranked as one of the best duelists in the world. Harry now understood why he was in a commercial that was trying to sell Duel Monster cards. He stopped at a picture of Ryou beside seven other people. They were the finalists in that huge tournament thing. Harry got a chill when he looked at the photo. Ryou's eyes seemed oddly dark again. He was looking at the shortest boy in the photo who had the craziest hair Harry had ever seen. Nearly everyone in the photo was wearing some sort of gaudy jewelry, Ryou included. The gaudiest thing was by far the pyramid shaped charm around the short one's neck. At least Ryou's necklace charm laid flat. Between the hair and the accessories…. maybe it was a Japanese thing. Japanese… that must have been the language those other sites were in. That would make sense seeing as the tournament was held in Japan. Harry continued to skim through articles, some on just the game itself, others on the duelists. Ryou was a mystery even to the web's authors. The sites all held the same vague and general information. Ryou Bakura was a young boy from British and Japanese descent. He was a dark horse duelist who came out of nowhere and snagged a coveted spot in the finals with his occult themed deck. Nobody said he didn't deserve the spot and some said if he hadn't been up against the 'king of games' in the first round then he would have easily made it to the final four.

Harry clicked off the computer. His legs were starting to cramp from sitting still for hours on end and he was out of chips. He returned to the kitchen to make a sandwich and looked out the window. His mind went to his friends from Hogwarts. He hadn't heard from them at all. He would've thought they'd have written him by now.

He once again headed out to the park with sandwich in hand. It wasn't to owl watch. That was what he kept telling himself. The owls knew where his house was.

0

Ryou blushed as the cashier rung up another ten boxes of light bulbs. The girl just chuckled kindly at him before handing him the bag and waving good bye. He just wanted to get home and fix the house. That was his goal for the day, clean clean and clean some more.

That's why his stomach fell when he saw them. Those same two guys from the day before. The tubby one wasn't there, but two thugs was enough to make Ryou stop in his tracks. He stepped back, hiding behind the corner. This was fine. He'd just take the long way home.

/Are you scared Yadonushi?/

Ryou shook his head, trying to shake the voice out, but the chuckling was proof it didn't work. He quietly went on his new route, walking an extra few blocks out of the way just to avoid a single corner. He turned one more corner and headed through the park. Then it would just be another five blocks to home. That wasn't too bad.

/Feh. It'll be a total of 14 blocks you didn't need to walk/ an irritated voice sounded in Ryou's head.

"It's okay. Besides, the fresh air will do me good." He replied to the spirit.

"What's okay?" The sound of a voice, a REAL voice, made Ryou jump ten feet into the air. He audibly gasped as he spun around to find that glasses wearing kid sitting on a swing. The glasses kid instantly seemed apologetic.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." He said, holding up his hand in what was supposed to show he meant no harm. Ryou took a deep breath to steady his heart.

"You're Harry, right?" He asked. He didn't want this to get awkward again.

"Yeah. Hey Ryou, I saw your commercial on the television last night. I didn't know you were famous…" Harry trailed off. Ryou had turned a strange shade of red. The white haired boy gave a very forced chuckle.

"y-yeah. They really wouldn't leave me alone a-about that…yeah" Well, this was awkward again. Him on TV, it was still weird to think about. Harry seemed to pick up on his embarrassment instantly.

"If you didn't want the exposure, why'd you bother with it then?" He asked, honest confusion in his voice. Ryou looked up towards the sky, scratching his hair to divert attention from his still red face.

"Honestly, to pay for the electricity in my house. My day paid for the water, gas, heating, and air conditioning, so I paid for the electricity." He replied.

Harry tipped his head and nodded though he wasn't positive if he heard that right. "Oh. Hey, I know you didn't want my help yesterday, but I'll offer it again today." He said, nodding towards the bag in Ryou's hand. He was taken aback by the drastic change in Ryou's expression. The blush was completely gone and his eyes seemed to have an edge in them they hadn't mere moments ago.

"Really? I'm cleaning up my place. You wanna help me fix it up?" He asked with an unfitting smirk. Harry was hesitant but shrugged.

"Yeah. I guess." Well, he had offered. He couldn't just back out now. The white haired boy smiled and nodded, motioning for Harry to follow. Harry raised an eyebrow but said nothing more. The walk to Ryou's house was quiet and uncomfortable, but Harry couldn't bring himself to try to strike up a conversation. He sighed in relief when he saw the house.

"All right your first mission is to replace all the light bulbs on the second floor," Chimed Ryou with strange delight as he opened the door and dropped the plastic bag unceremoniously into Harry's hands. Harry almost didn't catch them. He was surprised what a little cleaning could do to a room. With the furniture uncovered and the room dusted and lit, it looked vastly different from the house he was so used to seeing the past few years.

"Hey. Don't stand there staring. You said you wanted to help, so help" came Ryou's coarse voice. Harry looked over at the white haired teen. His arms were crossed and he was looking at him impatiently. Harry was tempted to throw the lights back in his face with the way he was barking at him, but he did still feel the slightest bit guilty about his cousin breaking the windows. A glance at the covered windows intensified this feeling and he headed upstairs. Ryou smirked again, waiting until Harry was all the way upstairs.

Then he plopped himself down on the couch.

Upstairs was still creepy looking. Ryou must not have gotten to this part yet. Harry couldn't blame him. It was a pretty big house. He wondered where Ryou's parents were. Probably at work like normal adults. He replaced the lights in the hall first, then the bathroom. The bedrooms were next, and he was slightly shocked to find everyone single one completely un-personalized. He had to keep reminding himself Ryou and his family only just arrived. When he opened the last bedroom, he wasn't expecting to be greeted by nothing but fabric. Every single thing in the room was still completely covered by the dust protectors. The room made him sad and he had no idea why. He let his hand graze across one of the coverings, wondering why Ryou had left this room untouched. He'd ask him once he went back downstairs. After replacing that light, he was done.

When he reached the living room, he saw Ryou nowhere in sight. Only the sound of the fridge closing in the kitchen hinted where the house's tenant was. He walked over and glanced inside to find the white haired enigma drinking a can of soda. He glanced over at Harry and smiled.

"All done?" He asked. Harry looked around. The kitchen was spotless… and yet he got the strangest feeling the boy in front of him didn't lift a finger to make it so.

"Did you clean the kitchen?" He decided to be blunt.

"Of course. Who else is there to clean?" The reply was instant and confident, but it also made Harry furrow his brow.

"Who else is living here with you anyway?" He asked. He couldn't be here alone. He looked about the same age as Harry himself. Ryou's smirk was gone and he turned so his back was facing Harry.

"Nobody… Now. Here's the duster. You get the hallway and I'll take care of my room." His smirk was back as he pushed the duster into Harry's hands and headed upstairs.

"You're living alone?" Harry said quietly even though Ryou was already gone. He looked around the house again as he headed towards the stairs. All alone… he had to admit, the house looked amazing for the amount of time he'd been there by himself. Once he reached the top of the steps, he looked at Ryou in confusion. The boy was standing in the hallway, looking at the floor and fidgeting.

"I'm sorry about this. You know, you don't need to help if you don't want to… It's my house. It feels wrong to make someone who I barely know help me clean" He said, refusing to make eye contact with Harry. The black haired boy really didn't know what to say at first. He was caught off guard by the sudden shift in personality. Again.

He finally collected his thoughts and shook his head.

"It's fine. Trust me, I've got nothing better to do." Sad part was, that was true. Ryou looked up at caught Harry's eyes. They were warm and innocent again as he smiled and said thank you. Harry watched him open one of the bedroom doors.

"I'll be right here if you need me" He said before he disappeared to clean.

Harry shook his head while a grin spread on his face and he began dusting.


	3. Lonely

A young teenager clapped his hands together, ridding them of those last few pesky dust particles.

"There. All finished." He said with pride. Funny, he never felt good about cleaning before, but Ryou managed to make the tasks somewhat enjoyable. Harry glanced to his side where Ryou was standing, wearing the same satisfied grin on his face as he looked up at the only window in the house that wasn't broken in some way or another. It sparkled now that it was grime free. Harry bit back a soft laugh. Most of the suds that had been used to clean the window and the floors had gotten all over Ryou. For some odd reason they thought it would be a good idea to pass the bucket of soapy water up to Harry so he could get the top of the window clean. The bucket ended up on the white haired boy's head, soaking him through. Ryou had laughed it off, saying there were easier ways to tell him he needed to bathe.

Ryou turned to Harry and dip his head in an appreciative bow.

"Thank you for helping me today. It would have taken forever if I was working alone" He said with a truly grateful tone. Ryou was thankful for more than just Harry's help with the housework.

"Like I said, it really was no problem. And please, you don't have to bow." Harry felt strange being bowed to, especially by a muggle. Sure his celebrity status in the magical world made people treat him a little differently, but he was too used to being treated like dirt in the non-magical world.

Ryou blushed and straightened up, scratching the back of his hair in what Harry guessed was a nervous habit. Despite only knowing Ryou for two days, the kid always seemed to scratch his hair when he was embarrassed. This time though, Harry couldn't hold back his chuckle. He motioned to Ryou's hand and the boy pulled his hand down to find it covered in suds. His hair was sporting a new collection of bubbles. He joined in the light laughter, running his hand through his hair and shaking it free of the foam.

Ryou deposited the remaining cleaning supplies in the bathroom and smiled fondly at the now live-able house he was standing in. He started heading towards the steps, motioning for Harry to follow. He was talking happily about making tea or maybe a quick snack. Harry nodded and began following after his new acquaintance but he stopped at the one door they hadn't entered to clean.

"Ryou, what about this room?" He asked. He looked at the door, only opened when he himself had entered to change the light bulb within. He had forgotten to ask Ryou about this particular room earlier, too distracted by other thoughts. He glanced back towards Ryou, wondering why he was being so quiet. Ryou was staring at the door, all the happiness he had been radiating gone. He took a deep breath and a sad smile graced his lips.

"I'll take care of that one myself. You've already helped me so much and I don't want to keep you from your family any longer than I already have. I need to shower anyway." He said in a soft voice. Even though he was looking directly at Harry, he couldn't help but feel like Ryou wasn't really seeing him. He was tempted to say his family wouldn't care if he didn't come home, but he wasn't stupid enough to see the subtle clue that Ryou wanted him to leave. He glanced back at the door before heading downstairs. Ryou was quiet, though constantly smiling, as he led Harry to the front door and wished him a good evening. Harry said his own good bye and headed back towards Privet Drive.

0

Ryou waited, watching Harry until he vanished from his street. He sighed and leaned his back against the front door. He forced a smile on his face though there was no one left to show the façade.

"Harry is nice. I bet that other kid really did force him to break in last time." Ryou said aloud. He received no answer, but that didn't deter him from continuing.

"He even managed to put up with you for a while there. I was afraid you were going to scare him off. You know, you're kinda bossy Koe." Ryou's hand was on the banister now, foot on the first step. He waited and still received no answer. Still he continued to talk. He needed to.

"Oh yes, Koe, I was wondering why you invited him over like that all of a sudden. And ya know, you could've helped clean a little bit after forcing Harry to." Ryou continued to ramble on as he made his way up the steps.

/Are you still lonely? /

Ryou missed the next step and tumbled down the few stairs he had managed to climb. He blinked and just sat at the bottom of the steps with a dumbfounded look on his face.

/The potter brat will make you stop bothering me right? And now that he's done some of the cleaning, you don't have to and the body will be less tired. Now stop falling down or you'll injure the body. /

Ryou raised a hand to his chest and felt the ring warm against his skin. He couldn't identify the tone the spirit had used first, but now the tone was definitely irritated. Ryou agreed the continuous housework combined with the jet lag made his limbs feel heavy when he woke up, but was that really a good excuse?

"It's not like I mean to fall down" Ryou muttered as he forced himself back to his feet and headed to the upstairs bathroom. He quickly stripped off his clothes and pulled open the shower curtain. Hesitantly he ran a finger along the gold ring. He pulled it over his head and laid it gently on the small vanity before stepping into the tub and tugging the curtain closed. The warm water felt good against his sore muscles and for a moment he just stood there, letting the stream pelt his chest and face. He let the water streak down his cheeks.

0

Harry sighed as he flipped over on his bed. It was two full days ago when he had helped Ryou clean his house and he hadn't seen the boy since. He glanced at the window of his room, watching the cloudless sky. No sign of anything – no clouds, no planes, no wind, no birds. No birds. He sighed and rolled out of bed to greet the day. Well, the evening. He already missed the morning part of the day. He walked over to a large cage perched in the corner of his room. The white bird glared at him from under her wing and Harry tried to give her a sympathetic look.

"I know. I'm sorry. I know how it feels to be cooped up inside all day." He said apologetically as he slipped in food for his dear friend. She didn't even give a hoot of recognition and Harry decided he'd try to sneak her out for a bit of fresh air next time the Dursleys went out on a family excursion. He slipped into a pair of jeans and picked up a shirt from the ground. He looked at it a moment and smelled it before shrugging and slipping it on. Socks and shoes were next and soon he was heading downstairs.

"Where are you off to?" called a voice from the couch as Harry was reaching for the door. He turned to his cousin with a raised eyebrow.

"Why do you care?" He snapped back before he pushed open the door and headed outside. He took a deep breath. It was always refreshing to get out of that house. After a moment he started heading down the street. He really had no destination in mind, but wandering around aimlessly was better than sitting in his room without anything better to do. It wasn't like he had any letters to read, not that he was bitter or anything. The town was pretty quiet. It was a relatively small place where the neighbors grew quite close. If anything, it was to share gossip but that was common place in many suburban areas.

"Good morning Mrs. Figg" Harry said with a wave as he passed a familiar looking woman coming home from the market. She chuckled at him and returned the wave.

"It's a little late to be morning" She replied as she passed and went on her way. Harry shrugged and continued his wandering. Street after street went by, him stopping every now and again to step into a store and browse or to admire the scenery. There really wasn't much else to do. It was while he was window shopping at a random novelty store that he caught a flash of white hair. He looked up to see the pale haired boy stepping out of a flower shop with a small bundle of pure white Forget-Me-Nots in his hands. The boy looked up and caught Harry's gaze. He smiled.

"Hello Harry" He greeted politely with a dip of his head. Harry still felt weird being bowed to, but he returned the smile and walked over to him.

"Hey Ryou. How've you been settling in?" He asked. It felt good to have another kid his age not look at him with utter disgust in their eyes and Ryou was fairly easy to talk to. Usually.

"Pretty well. It's strange, I saw a few ladies staring at my house the other day, talking in a little circle. When I went outside they all walked away in a hurry." He was honestly cheery today. Harry was glad the smile wasn't fake anymore. He wasn't sure what he did the other day that caused Ryou to get so quiet, but apparently he was over it. He also wasn't all that surprised when Ryou told him about the gaggle of gossipers. It didn't matter how trivial your story, anything and everything became fresh fodder for conversation in Little Whinging. Harry blinked as he noticed Ryou was bowing his head again.

"Sorry I can't stay and talk, but I promised someone I'd visit them today" He said, looking fondly at the flowers in his hands. Harry raised an eyebrow and gave Ryou a one-sided smirk, but the boy wasn't paying attention and missed the gesture.

"Anyway, I'll see you later" He added a hasty wave and was on his way.

"Yeah sure." Harry replied quickly, throwing in a wave of his own as he watched Ryou's retreating back. For a split second, a part of him thought about following after Ryou to see who he was meeting, but it was the part of him that was bored out of his mind and the sane half of his brain was telling him that would be a completely absurd stalker thing to do. He went back to wandering and eventually the pavement turned to grass.

He always ended up back at the park, sitting on the swing with his eyes turned skyward. He leaned his face against the metal chain of the swing, letting the cool iron chill his cheek. At last he took his eyes away from the sky and gently let himself sway back and forth on the swing set. His mind, with nothing better to do, starting thinking about his new neighbor. Maybe he'd go over and see if Ryou needed help cleaning up his front yard. It had been completely littered with glass and garbage last time he was there. He shook his head. He couldn't believe he was really debating about going over to clean someone's yard. He hadn't been aware there was such a deep level of boredom a person could reach.

0

By midday the next day, Harry found himself walking down the streets again. He stopped and glanced to his left. The wrought iron fence was only a little bit higher than waist height so it didn't block any of his vision. He was stunned.

It was spotless, completely and utterly spotless.

You would never have been able to tell it was the same broken down crumbling building that sat there just days earlier. The only thing left of the wreck it had once been were the covered windows.

"I know. It's stunning when it's fixed up ain't it?" Harry jumped and spun around, suddenly meeting two brown eyes and a crooked smirk.

"Ryou!" He exclaimed, still skittish from the other's sudden appearance. He hadn't even heard him approaching. "I was just passing by, ya know. Nothing really to do in this town" He said quickly. Why was he making excuses for walking down a street? Ryou seemed amused by his antics.

"Oh that's not true. There's plenty to do, it just depends on what you consider 'fun' " Ryou said with a deep chuckle as he passed Harry and headed towards his house. He had an accomplished grin on his face and his hands were resting in his pockets. He stopped at the door, hesitating a moment, and turned around.

"Did you want to come in? I mean, if you don't have anything else to do of course. I don't want to interrupt you if you were doing something." He said, looking at Harry a moment then looking away and leaning a hand on the half opened door. Harry smiled.

"Sure," was all he could manage to get out of his mouth. He walked down the path, still a little more than impressed that it was so clean. Even the grass seemed perkier if that was even possible. He stepped into the house and once again looked around. The living room looked pretty much the same, except for a few little decorations here and there that Ryou must have set up to personalize the place a bit. Ryou insisted he would make some tea and that Harry should make himself at home. While Ryou busied himself in the kitchen, Harry walked over to the entertainment center and glanced at the picture frames that had been placed on some of the shelves. The first frame held a picture of a man with dark blue hair wearing a beige hat and outfit. It looked like the pyramids were behind him. Harry thought back to that photo he saw online. It looked like the same man that had held Ryou as a kid, but he couldn't be positive. The next picture proved his suspicions. The same man was standing beside Ryou, smiling at the camera while Ryou was holding something gold in his hands and staring at it in awe. Ryou was still young in that picture; maybe around seven give or take a year. Harry's eyes drifted to the next picture, this one clearly more recent as the Ryou in this scene was a teenager and surrounded by other people his age. One of them was that kid with the crazy hair from that dueling tournament. There was no way more than one person had that hairdo not to mention the giant triangle necklace. Harry looked up at the sound of his host's footsteps to find Ryou standing beside him, smiling at the picture.

"Those are my friends from Japan." He said, his face beaming as he thought about them.

"You moved here from Japan? Your English is perfect" Harry noted, glancing at the photograph one last time before giving Ryou his attention.

"Well I was born here in England, so English is my first language" Ryou explained as he walked over to the coffee table in front of the couch and put down the tray he held in his hands. Along with the tea he had brought out a platter of small cookies. Ryou took a seat on the first couch as Harry walked over to the shorter second, which sat perpendicular to the first.

"That's pretty cool. I can only speak one language myself." He said, though that wasn't completely true. He doubted Ryou would accept Parseltongue as an acceptable other language though.

"So what brought you back to England? The lovely British weather?" Harry asked with a joking smile.

"Oh yes, I just missed the cold icy rain so very much" Ryou replied with similar mirth. It had already rained three times in the few days he had been there.

"Really though I came here to spend time with my father. His job kinda keeps him on the road a lot, so it's tough for him to see me in Japan." He said as he lifted a cup of tea to his lips and took a sip.

"Ah I see. Is your dad here now?" Harry thought the question was innocent enough but Ryou's eyes darkened considerably. Harry hesitated with his own teacup, a shred of concern edging its way into him, but Ryou just closed his eyes and sighed.

"Not yet. He's been…delayed. He'll be coming later though" Ryou replied calmly as he sipped his tea again. His father had called him earlier in the week, apologizing and trying to explain about a promising lead to a lost tomb or something. He said he would come as soon as they finished checking to see if the rumors held any truth to them.

"So Harry, tell me about the town! I used to live here a long time ago, but it's been so long I'm sure it's changed a lot" Ryou chirped, his face smiling and warm as he noticeable changed the topic.

"Actually, it really hasn't changed. It's still a quiet, sleepy little place. Honestly, you're the talk of the town right now." Ryou blinked at that information.

"Really? Why?" He seemed truly baffled.

"You're a new face who moved into the Harthrow house of all places. Not to mention you're famous" Harry smiled as Ryou turned red.

"That's… I'm not….I'm not all that famous. Really, it's my friend Yugi who deserves praise for his gaming skills, not me!" Ryou said, his hand going to his hair and scratching. Harry chuckled.

"From what I've heard you were in the finals of a pretty big tournament right?"

"The quarter-finals. I was knocked out in the first round. Literally." Ryou said quickly, though that 'literally' could be taken in two very different ways. Both of them were true.

"Still, you've got to be good to make it that far. You're not giving yourself enough credit"

"So why is me living in Harthrow house so strange anyway?" Ryou asked in another abrupt change of subject. Harry smiled and sipped his tea before replying. He was starting to wonder if Ryou didn't like being told he was famous, even over something as little as a card game. Harry could sympathize just the slightest bit.

"Well it was supposed to be haunted." He explained. Ryou really seemed to brighten at that. His eyes sparkled with interest and Harry took that as a cue to continue.

"Yeah. They said ghosts used to live here and anyone who got to close would fall under the ghosts' spell" Ryou was all ears now. The occult had always fascinated him even as a small child. That was probably why he enjoyed fantasy games so much.

"Do you know what the spell was? What happened to people who did go to close?" He asked eagerly. He was like a puppy waiting for a ball.

"They would lose themselves to the ghosts. Their spirits would join the ghosts in the house and help them steal the spirits of the future trespassers." Harry said smiling a bit at the absurdity of it all. He didn't notice that Ryou's smile had faltered, though quickly replaced itself.

"So um…. Do you know…if it every happened before? Did people really lose their S-… spirits?" He asked, tone clearly guarded and almost a bit fearful. Harry misunderstood Ryou's concern.

"Don't worry you're completely safe. They're just rumors. That kind of stuff doesn't happen in the real world." By real he meant muggle, but that was beside the point. He looked at Ryou, who didn't seem comforted by Harry's reassurance.

"You know, when I first saw you, I thought YOU were a ghost. You had my cousin completely terrified, but he'll never admit it." Now Harry was taking his turn to change the subject.

"Did I now? So. Your cousin. That was the fat boy who broke into my house with you?" Ryou's face looked amused and any worry about spells or ghosts was gone. Harry felt a bit of relief and cracked a smile when Ryou called Dudley fat. He nodded and took a drink of his tea.

"Hmmm Porky still owes me payment for the window he so carelessly broke. I should make him pay interest. I could tell by the look on his face it wasn't the first window he's smashed. Does he live with you?" Ryou asked as he lounged against the sofa with his arms spread across the back. He waited with something unreadable in his eyes.

"Yeah he does, but I do my best to avoid him. He's not the most pleasant person." Harry replied. He was getting that weird uncomfortable feeling again.

"Where do you live?"

Harry placed his cup down and glanced at Ryou. His brown eyes were trained on him and his face seemed…well…mischievous.

"4Privet Drive" He finally answered and he watched the thoughtful look that flitted across Ryou's smiling face.

"So you wouldn't mind if I stopped by for a visit sometime would you?" He asked, yet it felt like whatever Harry answered wasn't going to matter.

"I wouldn't mind personally, but I don't know if the Dursleys will be all that tolerant. Why would you want to come over my house anyway?" Ryou's arms dropped from the back of the couch onto his lap as he shrugged and looked away.

"I guess I'm just curious. I've only ever seen my house so I guess it would be nice to see what another family's house is like." He replied before turning his eyes to Harry. "Are the …Dursleys? Are they your family?" He asked. Harry gave a nod and Ryou smiled.

"How are they? Are they nice?" He asked. Harry looked away from those brown eyes, unable to keep his gaze.

"Depends. If you've got good social standing, money, or you're their kid, then yeah they're nice. If you're not, well you're better off befriending a dead rat" He said rather icily.

"Oh." Ryou didn't know what to say to that. He was guessing Harry was either close to people his family clearly disliked, or he was the one they didn't like. That couldn't happen though because normal families were close. Like Yugi and his grandfather.

"So… you like games?" Harry asked after a horribly long moment of awkward silence. Ryou seemed just as eager for something to break that silence, as he was nodding vehemently.

"Yeah. My favorite is Monster World. Duel Monsters is fun too, but nothing beats a good game of Monster World. And everyone can play instead of just watching two people dueling" Ryou's eyes lit up when he mentioned monster world. Harry had never played it, though the name sounded vaguely familiar. He decided to just ask Ryou what monster world was seeing as the other boy was clearly into the game. Ryou was more than happy to tell him all about it.

"Monster world is a tabletop RPG, a role playing game where you customize your character and fight against the dark master to try to beat whatever story the game master has created. Usually the dark master IS the game master. I use a computer to help calculate the stats of the characters, but you roll dice to attack, defend, cast magic, move…well, you roll for basically everything. The fun thing about it is each game is guaranteed to be different since you're the one that makes all the choices." Ryou continued to explain the different races and classes and Harry found himself lost in the technical terms. It still sounded rather interesting and he had a feeling Ron would be good at it.

"I don't really understand all of it, but it sounds like it'd be a blast to play. I know one of my friends would probably get really into it" Harry said once Ryou had finally stopped talking about it. Harry really didn't mind it though. Having a normal conversation with someone was a nice change of pace. Ryou suddenly looked at Harry curiously.

"What about you Harry? What's your favorite game?" He asked. Harry stared a moment. He had an answer but how was he supposed to explain it?

"Oh, it's just … it's not well known. You've probably never heard of it" He ended up saying, then mentally kicking himself for saying that. He would have been better off if he just lied.

"I know lots of games. One of my friends lived above a game shop and he always brought in the newest stuff to school" Ryou was still waiting for a real answer from Harry. Fine, he'd explain the best he could without giving away any important details.

"Alright then, it's a game where there are two teams of seven. Each team has three stationary rings that act as goals and the keeper is the member of the team that protects the goals. The chasers handle a ball about this big" He started, using hand gestures where necessary, "and they head towards the other team's goal post. If you get the ball through the hoop, you score ten points." It was the least magical version of the game he could say without bringing up questions he wouldn't be able to answer, and he realized it sounded like a rather generic sport. Maybe a twisted version of basketball. Ryou was supportive though and said one day Harry would have to show him how to play. Harry nodded but didn't say anything. Hopefully Ryou wouldn't press that matter.

As time ticked by, Ryou tried to better explain Monster World and told Harry he'd have to play it to really understand. Harry told Ryou more about the town and a little bit about his friends from school. By the time Ryou stood up to put away the tea set, it was already dark out.

"Oh I'm sorry Harry. I've kept you for so long! If I knew how late it was getting…" He started, but Harry cut him off.

"Don't worry Ryou. Besides, it's not like we could look out the window to check to see if the sun was setting." His unsuccessful attempt to make a joke about the covered windows didn't seem to appease the white haired boy.

"You won't get in trouble will you? You can blame me, it IS my fault" Harry almost laughed. He'd get in trouble no matter what time he got home. He and trouble were best friends. They went everywhere together.

"Trust me Ryou, it'll be like any other day I come back no matter what time I get in." At last Ryou nodded, though it was clear he was still upset about it, and Harry was escorted to the door.

0

Harry slipped inside the Dursley's house, trying to be sneaky and failing miserably. He barely got two steps in when he was greeted by his angry uncle. Yup. Things were just the same as usual.

"And where were you out so late at night, boy? Meeting up with your little…. freak friends?" He accused glaring daggers at his unwanted nephew. Harry immediately got defensive and locked eyes with his uncle.

"First off, my friends are NOT freaks. Second, I was just wandering the streets, not that you really care," he snapped back. He smirked as his uncle turned a dark shade of red. He never did like it when Harry talked back to him.

"You're a liar." Both Harry and Vernon turned to look at the owner of the voice. Dudley was on the couch and watching Harry with a hint of ridicule in his eyes.

"Whenever you go out, you always go to the park and sit on the swings like an angsty little girl." He baited his cousin. Harry didn't fall for it.

"Angsty? Dudley! I'm impressed you know such a long word." Harry said, his voice tinged with mock praise. This drew a nice long scowl from Dudley who huffed and turned his attention back to the television.

"Quiet boy. So you really were frolicking around with those freaks." Vernon was growling at Harry now, but the boy was acting nonchalant.

"Ryou's not a freak" Harry said darkly, never dropping his stare from his uncle's. Vernon's eyes took on the tiniest hint of surprise.

"You were with the Bakura boy?" He asked, clear disbelief in his tone.

"I can hang out with whoever I want" Harry announced, still holding his ground.

"Don't be stupid Potty. Why would he want to hang out with you?" Dudley brought himself back into the conversation and his father nodded in agreement.

"Dudley has a point, boy. Nobody would want to be friends with you but other freaks. Get to your room you lying good for nothing child." Vernon looked as if he felt accomplished and Harry couldn't think of any reason why. He became immune to the Dursley's self-esteem attacks a long time ago. Still, he was already tired of looking at his relatives' faces so he headed upstairs without another word.

He flopped on his bed, listening to the silence. He sighed and sat up shortly after. He was back on his feet, pacing the room for a second or two. He stopped at a familiar cage in the corner. Hedwig was still ignoring him.

"Tomorrow. I promise." He said softly to the bird. Well, at least she looked at him, though her head quickly disappeared back under her wing. He smiled at her, poking his fingers through the bars and stroking her soft white feathers.

0

Ryou yawned and slipped under the covers of his bed. He had already eaten, cleaned up a bit, showered, even set aside some clothes for the next day. Now he was just lying down in bed waiting for sleep to take him. He couldn't manage to drift off. One worry was still buzzing around in his head.

"Koe? Those rumors Harry told us about the house…. They weren't about you were they?" The spirit didn't reply, as usual. Ryou sighed as his thoughts went rampant. Then one thought in particular rang through, silencing the rest. It couldn't have been the spirit. He didn't get the ring until after he moved. He decided to use that as his comfort for the night, but even then sleep was refusing to visit him. He wondered how Yugi and jounouchi were doing; if Honda and Anzu had helped Yugi and his spirit get any closer to whatever it was they were trying to do.

/Homesick already Yadonushi?/ chuckled the voice. Ryou could tell he was making fun of him. He probably saw it as a weakness, the want to be near his friends. Okay, he missed them. Was that really so pathetic?

The voice didn't reply this time and Ryou wondered if he had actually won this mental battle.

/Don't be stupid Yadonushi. I was merely thinking about your … 'companions'. The pharaoh and his cheerleaders are not our friends. They are just our tools. Pawns in a game of power./

Ryou shook his head. His voice was barely a whisper.

"They are my friends."

0

Ryou stretched and let out a heady yawn. The sun was streaming in through his window already. He scooped up his watch from his bedside table and checked the time. Eleven. That was good. Yesterday he hadn't gotten out of bed until after twelve and he hated wasting the whole morning. Eleven he could deal with. His body was finally readjusting itself and he was getting over the time difference. Maybe in a few more days, he'd be getting up early like he used to. He yawned one more time before pulling himself off the bed and getting changed. The ring had been placed directly beside his bed as close to him as possible. He picked it up and stared at the shining yellow metal. He gently touched one of the dangling spikes, letting it clink against its neighbor. It really had put him through hell, and yet he always put it back on. His friends in Japan didn't understand, and honestly he could explain himself.

He tugged the thick leather strap over his head and slipped the ring under his shirt. Seconds later he was downstairs preparing brunch.

"I'll have to buy more eggs soon….already" He only had two left by the time he finished making his food. As he ate in silence, he wondered if he should try finding a job. His father sent him money once a month, but when he was really wound up in his work, something as trivial as sending his son food money often slipped his mind. Ryou could do another commercial, but honestly he didn't want the attention. Last time he was desperate, now he had the time to save up what he earned. He also didn't need that much. Just enough for the groceries.

/We don't need to worry about money Yadonushi. /

Ryou shivered. He was still getting used to the spirit talking to him so much without taking over his body and locking Ryou's mind away in his own personal mental room. Soul room. That was what he had heard Yugi call it. Ryou suspected the change in the spirit of the ring had something to do with Battle City. The tournament was a big black splotch in his memory, but the weeks following were clear as day. The first week he had the ring back, the spirit didn't even try to take over his body. When he finally did snag control, Ryou was still aware, kind of like how Yugi and his spirit were both awake when the other was in control.

/Don't compare us to that trash/

Ryou suppressed his smile. Maybe he should learn how to block his thoughts too. He knew it was possible, or else he'd hear the spirit more often. Unless the spirit really just didn't think that much. Ryou flinched at the anger he suddenly felt race through his body.

"Sorry. Pretend I didn't think that" said Ryou with a slight shudder. His stomach knotted itself and he wasn't really hungry anymore. He stood up and scraped the half eaten omelet into the waste disposal. As the water ran across the plate, he glanced out the window. He sighed as he watched the clouds, his hands going through the motion of cleaning without a second thought. It was only when he was turning off the water that he saw it. He stared in amazement.

/It's just a bird Yadonushi/

Ryou shook his head. It wasn't just any bird. It was a snowy owl. A white snowy owl flying in the middle of the day through Little Whinging.


	4. Forced Payment

Brown eyes tracked the majestic creature in the sky. He still couldn't get over the surprise of seeing a snowy owl in Little Whinging of all places. Surely they weren't native to England. He pressed his hands against the lip of the sink and leaned closer to the window, watching the bird circle above.

"It looks so happy." He murmured as he continued to stare.

/How the hell would you know that when it's so far away? Something is wrong with you Yadonushi./

"yeah… I already knew that…" He said, keeping is thoughts to himself and biting his lip to stop the grin. The only problem was it was a bit difficult to keep his thoughts away from the spirit in his head.

/I don't mean me./

Ryou had to try harder to keep his smile down. The dark growl only he could hear was pretty sufficient in halting his amusement. He nervously reached for a towel to dry his hands and didn't say another word. He took a deep breath and glanced out the window again. The bird was gone.

Ryou walked out to his living room, brushing his hand along the entertainment center as he passed it. He had tried to make it feel more like his apartment in Japan by setting up some of the trinkets and photos he brought with him, but it was still pretty bare. He walked over to the couch and let the cushion mold around him as he sat down. He hadn't used the television once since he'd been there. Now was as good a time as ever to see if it worked. He picked up the remote and clicked the power button. He tried again.

"Oh. Probably needs batteries." He shook his head at his own mistake, placing the remote down and manually turning on the TV. The screen buzzed with pictures. He made a mental note to pick up batteries later that day. It wasn't like he had anything better to do. He crouched down in front of the television, finger on the channel up button.

"And the Lord sayeth—" with a single push, the channel switched.

"-cademy, a local high school for girls, was found with a large hole in the far wall. Reports point to a gas leak that-" He pushed the button again, switching the image.

"On sale now at th-" He clicked passed that channel as fast as he could, feeling blood rush to his cheeks.

"-idge collapsed overnight. Amazingly, there were no witnesses to this horrible occure- " He let out a tiny yawn as the image changed once more.

"Mysteriously went missing at some point during the day. The owner is baffled by the disapp- " Another click, another channel.

"Unexplained. The fires are now believed to have been caused by faulty wiring, although the owner— " Ryou was disappointed there was really nothing on as he continued to click through channels.

/Yadonushi, stop. Go back./ Ryou jerked and felt his hand move without his say. The channel went back to the news and Ryou furrowed his brow.

"What's wrong Koe?" Ryou questioned the voice in his head, and naturally he received no answer. He returned his attention to the TV. There were a lot of accidents being reported in the news today. Was that what the spirit was concerned about? He heard a slight chuckle at the back of his mind, though he could tell it wasn't directed at him. The spirit wasn't even paying attention to him right now.

0

Ryou stretched his arms up over his head as he stepped into the sunlight. Even though it was the summer time, it wasn't too hot out. It was a nice warm day, no rain clouds in sight. It was the perfect type of weather to go for a walk. This time he was going to take the long way to the store on purpose to take in the scenery, not to avoid a potentially nasty encounter. After a quick adjustment to his blue flannel shirt, he was off.

His walk was briskly paced, but he didn't tire from it. He stopped every so often to observe people enjoying the nice weather. One of the adults, or possibly an older teenager, had loosened the cap of the fire hydrant on the corner. Parents were sitting on their front steps, watching the little kids play and splash around in the stream of water that was leaking out and down the street. Along another street, Ryou watched a father teaching his son how to fly a kite. His daughter was trying to get him to play catch instead. Ryou saw a mother and daughter walking their dog, a kid running to hug his dad as he returned from work, and a family of four coming back from the park with an empty picnic basket. A ghost of a smile fell on his face and he moved on. Soon he was under the shade of the trees and crisp grass crunched under his sneakers.

"Koe, what's your favorite food?" Ryou asked. He didn't usually talk to the spirit like this in public, but the park was deserted. He quickly scanned the area, just to be sure. Yep. He didn't see anyone.

/What the hell Yadonushi?/ Ryou shrugged as he walked.

"I was just curious is all." He muttered. The spirit scoffed. He scanned through Ryou's thoughts. The boy was not curious about his preferred tastes and the spirit had no intention of having some sort of worthless conversation just to make Ryou feel better.

"Koe?" Ryou prodded, stopping his walk and touching the ring that lay under his shirt. He wasn't getting any type of response, not even a stray feeling from the ring. He sighed and leaned against a swing set that sat in the play area of the park. Even here, the place had few people. They were probably heading home with their families; preparing dinner to eat together and spending quality time with one another. Ryou gently placed his hand on the ring again, calling to the voice locked inside of it with a silent thought. The spirit still didn't respond. Though he was silent and acting as if he wasn't even there, Ryou knew he was. The spirit's presence… it was a feeling that had become familiar. He could usually feel the existence of a second mind, even if it was just subconsciously. Had it always been that way? The ring had been under his care for so long, he couldn't remember what it was like before. He had been ignorant of the spirit's residence in the ring, hadn't even heard the voice, until after he met Yugi but the spirit had still been with him for years before that encounter. Ryou sighed and sat down on one of the thick plastic seats that dangled beside him. His hands loosely gripped the metal chains and he slowly swung back and forth. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The swing was making a soft noise, but Ryou realized the sound wasn't very metallic sounding. He focused on his hearing and listened more intently, listening to the soft whistle before the gentle 'cree' erupted into a much louder call. Ryou jerked and his eyes snapped open, whipping up to the source of the sound. He met intelligent golden eyes and he was once again stunned into silence. It released the sound again, a mix between a meow and the sound of the wind itself. It suited the white plumed bird well.

"Well hello there." Ryou said softly, looking fondly up at the owl that had landed on the upper bar of the swing set. He stayed as still as possible so he wouldn't scare it off.

"You sure are a beautiful bird." It was almost as if the creature knew what he said. It blinked at him and dipped its head as if in a nod. Ryou let out a soft chuckle at that. "I wonder though. Not many snowy owls fly through England. What are you doing so far away from your home?" He asked the bird as he continued to smile up at it. The bird cocked its head to the side and let out a series of clicks and hisses. Ryou continued to watch the bird as it spread its white feathered wings out wide and took to the air with a powerful collection of flaps. It circled the white haired boy in a large widespread loop before racing higher and higher into the sky.

"Goodbye little owl" Ryou said quietly to the fading sight of the white bird. The sun was already starting to set. This was why he didn't like getting up so late. The days went by so fast. He started to swing again, this time moving his feet back and forth with the motion so he too could feel the wind against his face.

0

"Welcome back Hedwig" The white owl hooted in reply to her master, landing gracefully on his outstretched arm. Harry reached up and rubbed the bird's head.

"In a better mood now that you've stretched your wings?" He asked his friend. She nipped his finger in a token sign of affection. Harry smiled and took her back into the house. The Dursleys were due back any minute now and the last thing he needed was for them to know he had let his pet out of her cage for a few hours. He was barely in his room when he heard the door open and the stomping of three noisy muggles waltzing into the living room. Hedwig gave him a look as she stepped off his arm onto the perch in the cage. Harry honestly felt terrible about closing her up again. He apologized to her and clicked the lock on her cage shut just as the door to his room was slammed open. He lazily turned to face his uncle, who was giving him a look over. He seemed satisfied – well, as satisfied as he could when it came to Harry – and closed the door with a loud bang. Harry grinned in triumph.

0

The darkness had always been a magnificent cover. For a boy like himself the dark was not quite as effective in hiding him, but it wasn't just the cover that made night so wonderful. He enjoyed the cold touch of the shadows that surrounded him, and they enjoyed their master's presence. The boy pulled up his hood, letting the black fabric hide his stark white hair. Even for him, a legend in his field, his hair was simply too noticeable especially outside of Japan where unusual hair was common. There his white man acted as perfect camouflage. Here it did not. He didn't mind though. He just considered it another challenge in his game.

Bakura turned the corner of a street, gliding through the town like a wraith. He laughed silently at those foolish mortals who couldn't seem to stop snooping around and making up rumors about him and his landlord. Nobody knew he was here tonight even when he was the spotlight of their pathetic little conversation. At last his target came into view. 4 Privet Drive. He tugged his hood further over his face, letting it engulf his features in shadow. His black gloved hands tightened the strings of the hood on his hoodie, making sure it wouldn't fall back if he had to make a quick escape. He headed towards the front door without a care in the world. Seconds later, he pulled his knife out of the doorknob and the door slid open. He smiled at his handiwork. Not even a single stray scratch on the knob. He stepped into the darkness of the house, his footsteps quiet no matter the surface. He glanced around, his eyes catching photos. He frowned in slight disgust but smirked as a sound reached him. A tiny gasp.

/Koe! This is Harry's house! What are we doing here in the middle of the night?/

Bakura chuckled. "I told you we didn't have to worry about money Yadonushi." He purred in a silent whisper. His landlord didn't seem to accept that as an answer.

/But Koe, Harry is our friend. We can't steal from our friends!/

"Consider it their payment to us. They owe us new windows after all" The spirit was completely dismissive of his host's complaints as he wandered around the house, picking up an item every now and then to inspect before placing it back down or slipping it into one of the pockets of his obsidian cargo pants.

/Koe I don't want – / Ryou did not get a chance to finish his train of thought as the spirit who now controlled his body was cutting him off.

"You should be happy Yadonushi. I thought you didn't like being put to sleep while I'm paying my rent. But if you don't want to be awake then that's fine with me. I'll be sure to suppress you completely next time I take control" The spirit said with a pretend sigh as if he was doing Ryou some huge favor.

/No no, please! I didn't mean it, I don't like not knowing what's happening. Please Koe!/

"Heh heh. Poor poor Yadonushi. So confused on what you want. I suppose I'll think about it." The spirit smirked again as he placed yet another tiny bauble into his pocket. He stopped and glanced at the ceiling. Ryou was keeping quiet in the spirit's mind, too afraid he would be put to sleep if he interrupted. Soon Bakura was pressed against the wall, deathly still yet in plain sight. His completely black outfit did nothing to hide him against the pale beige wall, and yet he did not move from his spot. A large man was tromping down the steps and looked around suspiciously. Bakura grinned as the man walked right passed him without even a second glance. Not even Ryou could hold his tongue this time.

/How? Why didn't he notice us?/

Bakura grinned even wider but kept quiet. He waited until the man left, heading back upstairs. At last he stepped away from the wall and took a deep breath.

"Figures porky came from fatman himself. I'm surprised the wife ain't a cow too." Bakura mocked as he slipped into the kitchen and took an apple from a basket on the counter. He took a bite and looked around some more. He was disappointed in the lack of valuables in this place. Most of the stuff was cheap junk that only a swindler could sell for a decent profit. A thief such as himself had a much more refined eye. He walked back to the door and glanced at the steps.

/No Koe, they're awake upstairs! We're going to get caught!/

Bakura had humored his host earlier, but now the voice was getting annoying.

"I don't get caught Yadonushi" he reminded him. Still, he turned and opened the door to leave. He could always come back. Harry had said he didn't mind if he visited after all. A grin splintered across his face once more as he headed down the street towards the park.

/Thank You./

His smirk vanished.

"I didn't leave because of your whining Yadonushi. It will be much more fun to take their treasures right out from under their noses during the day. They'll know I'm there, be in the same room with me, and still won't know what hit them." Bakura's smile reappeared at his own challenge.

/Doesn't matter what your reasons are. I can still thank you./

"Fine. I'm glad you finally approve of your rent." He purred as he pulled out a golden necklace from his pocket. The wife had left it out on the table, still in its case. No doubt she had been showing it off to her friends or something. Ryou didn't say anything, but unlike the spirit, Ryou was not good at hiding his thoughts and feelings from the link between their minds. Bakura could feel the disapproval. He smiled even wider.

/Koe… how come that man didn't see us?/ Ryou asked again. Bakura slipped the trinket back into his pocket and walked through the trees. He tugged the strings of his hoodie and let his white hair flow down. He pulled off the gloves and slipped them into his pockets as well.

"The shadows, Yadonushi. Don't tell me you've forgotten them already."

Ryou contemplated what he had just heard. The shadows had been at work, but he hadn't seen them. Why not?

"Because Yadonushi, we were within them. You did not feel it? Interesting." Bakura wondered if his host's tolerance of the shadows had grown. Perhaps all that time they had spent in the shadow realm had actually done something useful. His grin became bitter and a trickle of that bitterness seeped to his other half's mind.

/I'm sorry Koe. Was I supposed to feel it?/ Ryou disliked what he had just felt from the spirit. He had learned by now that if he could feel even the tiniest something from the spirit of the ring, it had to be a strong feeling. Strong enough to slip through the cracks of the spirit's guard.

"Mortals and apprentices tend to lose their strength when faced with the shadows." Bakura didn't respond to anything else Ryou said to him. He ignored his host and walked on deep in his own thoughts. Finally he just pulled back into his soul room, surprising Ryou with the sudden control of the tired body. The spirit stared at the door that connected his mind to the corridor of souls. The door that connected his mind to Ryou. He thought he had regained his old strength. He thought by now he had recovered enough to suppress his host as he used to do before Battle City. Had his latest banishment to the shadow realm really weakened him so?

0

The hurried clicking and clanking of multiple locks, followed by the door slamming open, was what greeted Harry in the morning. He barely blinked and his uncle was pulling him out of bed by the collar of his pajamas. What had made the man such a shade of red so early in the morning?

"Tell me what you did with them boy!" He was yelling. Harry stared in true confusion.

"Do with… what?" He finally asked. His uncle shook him and turned another shade of red.

"You know what! Where are the things you stole from downstairs? Are they in your bloody luggage for that ridiculous freak school?" barked Vernon as he released his nephew and started searching his room from whatever it was that was apparently missing.

"I'll take this time to remind you I was locked in my room all night. I didn't steal anything" Harry stood and walked over to his Hogwarts bag, placing a firm hand on the latch just as his uncle made a move to open it.

"What? You've got something to hide boy?" Barked the man as he glared at his calm nephew.

"No. I'm just letting you know before you go snooping around in my school supplies that one of my textbooks for class likes to bite." Harry said flatly. He grinned at the thought of setting the Monster Book of Monsters loose on his unsuspecting uncle. It was the smile that made his uncle back off. After a thorough search of the rest of Harry's room, Vernon left in a huff and returned to his wife in the living room. Harry waited a few minutes before he got dressed and headed downstairs. Sure enough, there was his aunt Petunia sitting on the couch weeping as her husband tried to comfort her. Harry looked around. He didn't really notice anything amiss.

"Come to confess boy?" Barked his uncle once he realized Harry had entered the room.

"What's missing?" Harry asked as he walked around the room, heading towards the kitchen. His eyes scanned everything. He couldn't really remember what had decorated the room before, but if a thief struck, they'd have taken whatever they could right? He glanced at the table. Maybe it hadn't been so empty before, but he couldn't for the life of him remember what had been there placed there. His uncle had a short list of things and started ranting them at the poor green-eyed boy.

"Really. I didn't take anything" Harry groaned in annoyance. "What would I possibly do with such useless things anyway?" He added as he headed towards the fridge to scavenge for food. He could hear the Dursleys talking in the other room. His uncle had heard mumblings in the night but after finding nothing and double checking the locks on the boy's door he headed back to bed. According to his aunt, she had left a brand new gold necklace on the table that had a diamond gem in the center. It was gone. Even more alarming was she didn't have to unlock the door when she went to water the plants this morning. Harry shook his head. He wondered if it had really been a break in or if they just forgot to lock the door.

But then again, that didn't explain the random missing items.

0

It took a lot of work, but somehow Harry finally convinced his aunt and uncle of his relative innocence. He was finally able to escape to the outdoors, away from that stingy house and its accusatory glares. There had been a condition though. He sighed as he looked over his shoulder to see his cousin staring at him like some king who was looking down on a mere servant. Dudley was his new shadow. His aunt and uncle said if Harry was lying he was probably going to go to where he stashed their stuff, so Dudley was going to stick by his side just in case.

His family was so annoying.

Harry had started his usual day of wandering, but Dudley was quickly becoming quite the irritant. He mocked him in the park, repeatedly tried to trip him as he walked, and couldn't seem to stop talking about how he was so much better than his cousin and how he couldn't believe they were related. Harry was seriously tempted to just whip out his trusty wand and turn his cousin into something more useful like a cushion. He was sure Dudley would make an excellent cushion. Extra fluffy.

Harry was pulled out of his musings when Dudley was pushing him and telling him to look across the street. Harry obliged out of curiosity and curiosity only. A blob of white was heading into a store and there was only one person with hair like that. Harry instantly started across the street with Dudley nipping at his heels. On the positive side, his cousin had finally stopped berating Harry.

As he entered the shop, he had to stop a moment and look around. It was a game shop filled to the brim with figurines, board games, starter packs, cards, consoles, puzzles, dioramas, and anything else you could possibly play. He wandered over to one particular set up that had a banner with 'Monster World' hanging overhead. So this was the game Ryou had been talking about. The table set up in the shop was more detailed than Harry had expected.

"Isn't it amazing? It reminds me of the one I have at home"

Harry lifted his head to see Ryou smiling across the table. The white haired boy was examining the table fondly, looking over the different area pieces and the tiny figures that made up the townspeople.

"So this is where you buy your supplies? You buy the boards and characters at shops like these?" Harry asked as his cousin wandered up beside him, staring at Ryou instead of the merchandise.

"For the bigger pieces and materials and stuff, yeah. I prefer to make my own characters though." He replied as he at last broke his gaze from the game display. "I think it's more fun to play when you have a piece that you can really call your own, so I make them look like whoever is playing them" He added. Harry was impressed. He kind of wanted to see some of the figures Ryou had made, wondering to himself if they were any good.

"You must have a lot of pieces then." He noted and Ryou nodded.

"Yeah, but my board is also a lot bigger than this one. I also have display cases on the wall to store the characters I'm not using." Harry stared at Ryou a moment before dropping his gaze to the table. Ryou's game board was bigger than this? Harry didn't even know what to think. What, did Ryou have an entire room dedicated to this game or something? That couldn't be it. That would be completely unreasonable.

"You actually like this nerd stuff?" At last Dudley had found his voice and for a moment Ryou looked hurt that Dudley had insulted his favorite past-time, but he shook it off.

"Yes. It's my favorite." Ryou said proudly making Dudley scoff. The heavier child couldn't remember why he had been excited when he saw the white haired loser across the street. He was quickly reminded.

"Hey hey, you're Ryou Bakura right?" Ryou turned to face the man who had spoken. He was a young employee at the store, stocking shelves. Of course, he was standing with a box of Duel Monster booster packs in his hands. Ryou nodded shyly. The young man beamed at him.

"Can you sign something for me?" He asked, placing his work down on the ground and retrieving something from behind the counter. The cashier rolled her eyes as the man returned with a gaming magazine. He flipped to a page that showed Ryou on one side and Yugi on the other. They were standing with duel disks activated and cards in hand, staring each other down. Ryou's eyes were cold and he was wearing a sadistic smile on his face in the magazine. Harry watched as Ryou signed it, blushing faintly. Once the man thanked him and left to finish up his work, Ryou glanced up to see Dudley gaping at him. The boy had just remembered that Ryou wasn't just a weird looking kid; he was a famous weird looking kid. Ryou's hand reached up to his hair as he scratched the back of his head and looked away with a tiny forced laugh.

"You're in a magazine too?" Dudley let out. Ryou turned red again.

"Only a few really. Yugi's the one— " Ryou started before he was rudely cut off by the approaching Dudley.

"Wait, so you're in more than one?" he asked. Ryou nodded and took a step back. Harry's cousin was freaking him out. Scarier still was being suddenly hugged. He went rigid and spun around immediately, eyes narrowed and stance guarded. He blinked at the girl who was smiling at him. She began spilling out how she had heard he was in England but she was shocked to see him here of all places. After signing her card shaped autograph book Ryou let out another sigh.

"Maybe… I should apply for work somewhere else" He murmured as Harry walked over to him and smiled.

"apply for work? You're looking for a job?" He asked. Ryou nodded.

"I thought I might as well earn some spending money and a game shop seemed like a good idea at the time…" He said as he noticed a little boy staring at him. The little kid tugged his mother's coat and was whispering frantically to her and not so subtly pointing at Ryou. Ryou smiled at the boy and politely waved which made him jump in excitement. Ryou hadn't really been bothered by people about his fame so far, but the game shop was a store aimed to please die hard gamers. Naturally, it was these people who would be the store's customers. Ryou glanced down the isle of dioramas for Monster World, then at the rare Duel Monster cards cased at the front of the store. He wanted to browse and maybe pick something up, but he was confronted by another fan and he soon followed Harry out the door. He decided next time he'd wear a hat or a hood or something.

"Well, now that we're out of there… how have you been Harry?" Ryou turned away from the store and gave Harry his full attention. Before Harry could even speak, Dudley was interrupting again.

"Wait, you really hang out with this freak? Why?" He asked, motioning to his bespectacled cousin. Ryou stared at Dudley and frowned.

"Harry is my friend. You shouldn't call people freaks you know." He said like he was reprimanding a toddler. Harry snickered.

"He IS a freak. I'm not calling him anything. I'm just stating what he is." Dudley replied flatly. He either didn't realize Ryou had been scolding him or was too oblivious to notice. Ryou grinned and stepped closer to Dudley.

"Oh? Well then tubby should I just call you pig from now on? How about Vandal?" He asked as Dudley furrowed his brow. "Admit it fatty, you could really drop a few pounds" Ryou purred as he leaned in close to Dudley, flicking him in the gut, and smirked. He locked his dark eyes with Dudley's stunned ones. Against that cold glinting gaze, Dudley couldn't find any words to say. Finally the white haired boy backed off and he walked back over to Harry.

"Hey. You said I could come over before. I'll come by your house once I finish with an errand." Ryou said as he turned on the spot and headed down the street. He hadn't even given Harry a chance to respond and Harry watched him go. Dudley was staring after him too. The muggle was confused as to what just happened and he wasn't sure if he should be angry or impressed. Harry had to snap the boy out of his sudden stupor. Apparently they had to get home and prepare to have a guest over.

0

Ryou smirked as the little bell on the door chimed at the entrance to the store.

"Yo. How much can you give me for this?" He asked as he plopped a decent looking and freshly acquired watch on the table of the pawn shop. The man behind the counter picked it up and studied it carefully before naming his price. The white haired boy accepted and pocketed the cash. He smiled an almost polite smile, waving and saying goodbye in his sweetest voice before he headed back outside.

"See Ryou? The necklace was enough to pay for some of the windows, and that watch will go towards a new knife and dinner. The Dursleys are so generous." He chuckled as he walked down the street. The boy faltered a moment before he continued at a more hesitant pace.

"You really don't like Dudley do you?" Ryou asked as he walked. He caught a glance from a passing stranger and he immediately looked at his feet.

/Don't act like you think very highly of him either Yadonushi/

"Well I don't hate him. Besides he's Harry's cousin so I'm going to give him a chance."

/You don't hate anyone and you've already given him a second chance./

Ryou shrugged. "I'll give him as many chances as he needs. What's he going to do when he finally does want to be a better person? I think anybody can change if you give them time." He said with a smile.

/You're too naive Yadonushi./


	5. Friendship

"Who's having what now?"

Vernon stared at his son in shock as the boy once again tried to explain that Harry was apparently having a guest over. Dudley was just glad he had something to derail the topic from his watch which must have fallen off during his outing babysitting Harry.

"Apparently he invited him over a while ago." Dudley said, turning to stare at Harry who was sitting on the couch, ignoring the whole lot of them.

"How dare you invite anyone over here to my house! Especially one of your freak friends." Vernon growled at Harry who was still blissfully ignoring him.

"Now dear, Duddykins said it was Ryou Bakura right?" Petunia looked to her child for affirmation and Dudley nodded. Vernon seemed to be thinking this over more calmly now.

"Perhaps this Ryou isn't quite the man I expected if he befriended that fiend of a child." Vernon narrowed his eyes at Harry. Harry merely yawned and continued watching commercials on the television. Vernon was about to say more when the door bell rang, drawing four sets of eyes to the wooden entry way. Harry automatically moved to answer it, but surprisingly his aunt was already heading over. Vernon watched from the living room with his son who was just as nosily eavesdropping beside him.

"Good evening. I hope I'm not intruding. Harry said I could come by for a visit." The voice was polite and gentle, just like the boy who followed Petunia into the house. Petunia was already fawning over the child who had greeted her with a polite bow of the head and a charming smile worthy of a prince. Harry noticed his aunt was holding something – a gift Ryou had brought over. No wonder his aunt was so pleased. She had a famous, young, polite, handsome boy who was the current topic of the town giving her gifts. Harry glanced at his uncle who had stood up to greet Ryou properly. He apparently forgot he had just decided to dislike the white haired boy. Gifts tended to have that effect on the Dursleys. Harry gave said gift a glance as his aunt placed it on the table. It was one of those fancy little candle decorations and Harry admitted the scent was pretty nice. Much better than the usual smell of this hell hole. Harry finally stood up and headed over to Ryou who was busily looking back and forth between his aunt and uncle as each tried to talk to him in turn. The boy seemed relieved when he finally saw Harry.

"Hello Harry. Thank you for having me over on such short notice" he said with his usual politeness and that little bow he kept doing. Harry smirked as his uncle gave him a dirty look. Harry knew he wasn't going to reprimand him now seeing as it was clear aunt Petunia was already fond of Ryou and the white haired boy was only over to visit Harry. Harry glanced at his aunt who was asking Ryou how he got his hair to look like that and she seemed genuinely surprised when Ryou replied that it was natural.

"Ryou, you want to have a seat? I doubt standing by the door is what you planned to do when you visited." Harry offered, letting his green eyes flicker to his aunt and uncle before settling them on Ryou. Ryou nodded and followed Harry to the couch. He tripped on his way over and thrust his hand out to the counter to steady himself. Petunia was instantly by his side asking if he was okay but Ryou only smirked and said he was perfectly fine. He sat beside Harry and folded his hands on his lap. Harry thought for a moment Ryou looked upset about something, but the look was gone as fast as it had appeared so he dismissed it as his imagination.

"Would you like to stay for dinner?" Petunia asked as she situated herself on the couch opposite of Ryou and Harry.

"Oh, I couldn't possibly. I don't want to trouble you like that." Ryou said, but Petunia wasn't accepting of such an answer.

"Oh nonsense it's nothing." She cooed like she did when she spoke to her Dudley-poo. She hopped up and pranced her way to the kitchen where Harry suspected she'd call her friends and brag about having a celebrity in the house. The silence that followed was awkward and Ryou was doing all he could trying not to fidget where he sat. He knew Dudley and Harry's uncle were watching him and it was making him uncomfortable.

"Oh, hey Ryou… it's your commercial" Harry said, motioning to the TV in an attempt to divert attention away from Ryou, but it was only effective for a few seconds. Dudley repeatedly looked back and forth between the screen and the real thing sitting in front of him, which was becoming a rosy shade of red. Finally Ryou ended up covering his embarrassed face with a hand.

"Mr. Bakura, what a feat to have your own commercial. And such a humble young man." Vernon didn't seem to care that Ryou was not a fan of his fame. "My son has told me you've also appeared in magazines?"

"Anou… yes" Ryou replied with a shy nod of the head. Harry wondered what 'anou' meant but didn't get the chance to ask. His uncle and cousin were determined to not even let Harry get the opportunity to start a sentence.

"Splendid splendid. Your parents must be proud to have such a well known son!" Vernon chirped and Harry noticed Ryou looked away instead of responding. "Tell me, what do your folks do?" Ryou smiled politely, a smile he had trained himself to wear and a smile Harry had seen before right after he had helped Ryou clean his house.

"My father is an archeologist and the curator of a museum in Domino City, Japan. He's made a lot of amazing discoveries in Egypt so he's pretty well known." Ryou explained quickly with a tip of his head.

"Yeah, well when I looked up the name Bakura, all that showed up was you" Dudley said, pointing a thick finger and Ryou who once again blushed, though not nearly as bad as during his commercial.

"That's probably just because the last tournament I was in was a pretty big deal to Duel Monster fans worldwide and it wasn't all that long ago…" he replied, choosing to avert his eyes and clasp his hands together to avoid squirming under the Dursley's stares.

"Worldwide you say?" Vernon asked and Ryou mentally kicked himself for saying that. He really didn't want the extra attention. Thankfully Harry came to his rescue.

"Come on Ryou, we can wait in my room until my aunt fixes dinner." He said as he stood up and waited. Vernon looked angry and Dudley raised his eyebrow at his cousin.

"Why the blazes would Ryou want to" Dudley started but trailed off as Ryou stood and followed Harry to the steps fairly quickly. He stopped a moment, twirling on the spot and resting a hand on the table while the other waved at the two still on the couch.

"Pleasure to meet you. I can't wait for dinner" He chirped before once again spinning around and dashing upstairs after Harry with a thin smile. Harry glanced back over his shoulder as Ryou raced to catch up to him, noting the grin on his guest's face.

"Are you really that happy to get away from them?" He asked with amusement plastered all over his face. Ryou's smirk twitched into a slightly larger grin which was all the answer Harry needed. He led Ryou to his room and the foreigner let out a soft whistle.

"They really don't want you leaving your room do they?" He asked as he took in the lock covered framing on the side of the door. His hand gently brushed over each and every one of the contraptions with a look in his eyes Harry couldn't identify.

"Yeah. I'm not really their favorite person." He shrugged as he opened the door and headed inside. Ryou followed. He stopped dead in his tracks and Harry watched as the boy's brown eyes widened. His whole face lit up with excitement and suddenly Ryou was beside the metal cage in the corner of the room. His mouth hung just the tiniest bit open as he stared at the white bird within. A familiar white bird that turned her golden eyes towards Ryou and let out a gentle cree.

"Harry…. You have an owl in your room." Ryou stated as he blinked and touched the wire cage as if to make sure it was real. Harry chuckled and nodded as he headed over. He was surprised when Ryou reached two fingers through the cage and even more surprised when Hedwig allowed the two fingers to touch her without offering a bit of protest to this stranger.

"Yeah. Her name's Hedwig." Harry said as he sat down beside the cage and watched Ryou stroke his owl once more.

"Hello Hedwig. You're just as lovely as the last time I saw you," Ryou said softly to the bird. Hedwig gently nibbled Ryou's finger which once again surprised the young wizard in the room.

"She must really like you." He voiced his thoughts out loud as he looked at Hedwig curiously.

/ Of course she does. Why wouldn't she like us of all people? She is an owl after all. /

"Koe?" The sudden sound of the spirit made Ryou blink in confusion.

"What's that?" Harry's question jerked Ryou out of his thoughts and the boy immediately pulled his hand back and rubbed his hair.

"Oh did I say that out loud? It's nothing. Really." Ryou said quickly though Harry folded his arms and was clearly waiting for a real answer.

"No, really, I was just thinking to myself and apparently I thought the last bit out loud. Koe means voice you see and I was just… anou… thinking about how I met Hedwig before. I heard her voice when I was in the park…." Ryou said the words quickly and forced a light laugh, but Harry finally seemed to accept the answer.

/Oho smooth cover up my poor flustered Yadonushi. Ra forbid your precious little friend finds out you're talking to a voice in your head. / The voice was chuckling but this time Ryou did not respond. Instead he turned his blush towards Hedwig and poked his fingers back through the cage.

"So then… you saw her the other day?" Harry realized what Ryou had said and now he had a note of worry in his voice. Ryou turned curiously to Harry and gave a tiny nod.

"Yes. I saw her flying over the town and again when I was in the park." Ryou realized his words were troubling Harry so he asked if that was a bad thing. Harry shook his head.

"No it's fine. Just, can you do me a favor and not mention it to the Dursleys?" he asked. Ryou seemed confused so Harry continued to explain. "It's just they refuse to let me let Hedwig out of her cage during the summer, so if they found out I did…well…" He trailed off but Ryou was smiling.

"Don't worry Harry. I won't tell a soul." Harry at last seemed relieved. Ryou looked back to Hedwig, disliking that she was cooped up all the time but glad she had Harry as her master. Ryou could tell Harry was very good to her just by the way she looked at him.

The two boys stayed in the room and talked about the white plumed Hedwig for awhile before the conversation switched to Ryou's equally snow white hair. Harry questioned why Ryou didn't just cut it, but all Ryou could say was that he liked the length as it was. He didn't understand why he got that question so much in England. Nobody ever questioned his hair in Japan. They started to discuss Japan after that and Ryou told Harry about his friends in Domino City. He carefully left out any and all things that revolved around certain items, evil plots, and magic. Harry did the very same thing when he told Ryou about his friends from Hogwarts. Neither suspected anything from each other's stories. Both boys saw the other as a nice break away from the mayhem that seemed to follow them everywhere.

0

"Yes, that's right. I swear sometimes I think she knows more than the teachers do" Harry chuckled as he finished up a short little – and heavily edited – story about him and his friends. Ryou smiled.

"She kinda reminds me of a man named Kaiba…. Well… except Kaiba is kind of mean and grouchy… but when it comes to intelligence, he's at the top of his class." Ryou said as he looked at the black haired boy sitting by the window. Ryou was still beside Hedwig's cage.

"Kaiba as in Kaiba Corporation?"

The sound drew Ryou's attention to the door where Vernon stood staring at Ryou. Ryou tensed under the man's gaze and quickly nodded.

"You know this man? Are you well acquainted with him?" Vernon asked eagerly. Kaiba Corp was a well known organization that happened to build numerous buildings and attractions often enough. His own business would only gain prestige if he could manage to get on good terms with such a corporation.

"I know him a little but I wouldn't really say we're well acquainted. I mean, he respects my dueling ability, but he isn't exactly the easiest person to just make friends with. Mokuba is – his little brother is much more sociable." Ryou said carefully, this time unable to stop himself from fidgeting. Vernon nodded, taking in this new information and viewing Ryou as a possible connection to bigger and better things. The heavy set man motioned for Ryou to come downstairs.

"Ah yes well. We can discuss this more over dinner." He said a bit too cheerily for Harry's taste. The dark haired boy eyed his uncle suspiciously as he started following after Ryou. His uncle stopped him, barring his way with his thick arm.

"Don't mess this up boy. I don't want any of your little tricks to frighten our guest off do you understand?" his glaring uncle hissed. Harry said nothing, choosing to try to win the stare down instead. At last his uncle headed downstairs and Harry soon followed. He looked around to find Ryou gently brushing his hand across the mantle of the fireplace. Dudley was beside him, talking nonstop about how wonderful his life was. Harry walked over to stand on Ryou's other side.

"No picture of you Harry? I guess they really don't like you do they?" Ryou purred, his brown eyes looking at the many pictures of the Dursleys. Harry glanced at Ryou quietly.

"Of course not. Potty is a freak show, Ryou. Trust me, you're better off cutting off whatever ties you made with him. He's a liar and a creep that'll only drag you into his nonsense." Dudley chirped, more than happy to use any opening to tear down his cousin.

"Same could be said for you Dudley." Harry turned his eyes to glare at his relative and Ryou just chuckled. Both squabbling boys turned to face Ryou in surprise.

"Family quarrels. How cute." He said simply as he headed to the kitchen. Harry stared at Ryou's back a moment before sending one last glare at his cousin and walking into the kitchen as well. As expected, there were four plates set up on the table. What he hadn't expected, especially after that display, was how upset Ryou looked as Vernon motioned for the boy to sit beside him. Dudley and Petunia had already claimed their spots.

"What about Harry?" Ryou asked. Dudley laughed which only seemed to upset the white haired boy even more.

"It's fine Ryou." Harry offered, but Ryou shook his head.

"No, it's not. It's cruel and families should eat together. Everyone in the family." Ryou replied, taking a step back away from the table. Vernon glared at Harry as if it was his fault Ryou was so upset.

"I'm sorry. I'm not really feeling well right now. Harry, you should sit and enjoy your time with your family. I'll head back home" Ryou bowed first to the Dursleys and then again, a smaller tiny bow, to Harry. He quickly headed for the door before anyone could utter a protest. Harry and the Dursleys watched the door close in silence.

0

/bit of an overreaction don't you think Yadonushi? /

Ryou bit his lip and continued walking briskly along the emptying streets. Ryou probably did over react but he couldn't help it. Families should spend their time together while they can. They never know when something will happen that could make little things like a group meal become impossible. How could Harry's family just cut him out like that?

/Not everyone has ou– your sob story Yadonushi. /

"But it's such a shame… they don't realize what they have." Ryou said quietly as his pace finally slowed to a more normal speed.

/And they won't until it's stolen away from them. Speaking of which…/

Ryou sighed as his hands slipped into his pockets. The very reason he had worn his black trench coat was because the spirit of the ring had forced him to. The pockets were deep and the black made it difficult to see when they were getting bulky.

"Now I'll have to buy them something else" He mumbled and the voice from the ring just laughed.

/Don't bother. It's not even hard to steal from those foolish mortals. Waste anymore of our money on them and your gifts will go missing one by one from that house... Along with other things they may hold dear…/

Ryou sighed again and let his arms hang loosely by his sides. The street lamps flickered on as the sun quickly disappeared behind the little homes that formed the town. He took a detour to his house, not really in the mood to deal with its solemn emptiness, and decided to stop in at a little diner for dinner. The waitress was kind and brought him his food pretty quickly. Ryou asked for some cream puffs to go and paid with the money he had gotten from selling the watch. Guilt swept over him as he handed over the money and left a hefty tip on the table. He wasn't the one that took the watch, and yet he couldn't honestly say it wasn't his hands that had committed the crime. Who would possibly believe him if he tried to explain? Not that he would ever tell anyone about the spirit of the ring. Pegasus, the creator of the Duel Monsters game, had seen and told him what happened when the ring was worn by those the items deemed unworthy. If people found out about the ring… if they tried to wear it…

Ryou shivered at the thought. The chuckling in his head only made his shivering worsen.

0

He sat there with a tiny smile as he watched the television.

"There is still no progress in the investigation. The owner of the rare obsidian jackal statue has offered a reward for any information that could lead to catching the culprit behind the theft of this priceless heirloom. Police have yet to come across any traces that could lead the burglar."

"And they never will" chuckled the boy as he clicked a button on the remote. The image flickered to rather gruesome movie that held the boy's attention until the doorbell rang. He groaned and flicked the television off, tossing the remote onto the table with a loud clatter.

"I really wish you wouldn't do that. You're going to break it." The boy said as he stood up and headed to the door. He chose to stay in all day today. Someone was supposed to come by to take measurements for his new windows. He walked over to the door, unlocked it, and pulled it open.

"Good morning. Is your father home young man?" asked the man on Ryou's doorstep. Ryou shook his head, which caused the man to frown.

"It's okay. You're here to take measurements correct?" Ryou asked with a pleasant smile. The man nodded and Ryou invited him in.

"When will your father be back? I'm afraid I can't start until a mister Ryou Bakura signs these papers" The man said, glancing at the paperwork in his hands and waiting for the child to answer.

"My father is unable to be here at this time which is why I ordered the windows. I'm Ryou Bakura, so if you'd take a seat on the couch I'd be more than happy to sign whatever I need to" Ryou replied with politeness. The man was taken by surprise but shook his head and sat down. Ryou carefully went through each paper. Soon his named was scrawled across all the necessary documents and the man went to work. It didn't take that long to finish up and the man told Ryou he'd be back in a few days to install the windows. Ryou led him to the door after letting him have some tea. He opened the door and stopped. Harry was standing there with his fist raised as if he was about to knock.

"Harry! What are you doing here?" Ryou asked curiously.

"I just thought I should stop by. You said you weren't feeling well yesterday, so I just …" Harry trailed off. Ryou smiled and asked Harry to hold on for a moment as he said goodbye to the window man. He held the door open and invited Harry inside.

"Look, I just wanted to apologize about my family last night." Harry began but Ryou shook his head.

"It's okay Harry, there's really nothing to apologize for." He said just as politely as ever. Harry looked around, unable to meet Ryou's eyes. It was obvious he had been upset no matter what he said now. Eventually his eyes fell onto a six inch statuette of a dog. Just to break the silence, he decided to use it as a conversation piece.

"So what's this?" he asked as he stepped over to it. When he looked at it more closely, he could see what looked like elegant gold detailing around the shining black stone.

"That is a reclining Anubis statue. Do you know who Anubis is?" Ryou asked as he walked over to the little statue.

"Hermione said something about it before… is he the Egyptian God of the dead?" Harry asked, feeling proud of himself for remembering that little detail. His pride crumbled as Ryou shook his head.

"Not quite, but close. Anubis is more like the protector of the dead. His father, Osiris, is the lord of the dead." Ryou explained as he gently brushed his pale fingers along the contour of the black jackal. Harry looked at the dog statue, noticing now that the golden designs formed hieroglyphics along the base and an elaborate golden collar. It was so obviously Egyptian and it looked pretty pricey.

"It's cool. You know a lot about this type of stuff?" Harry asked, looking up to Ryou, who nodded. Ryou was just glad Harry didn't ask where it came from.

"Yup. When your father is always excavating tombs in Egypt, you learn a lot about it." He replied, a half truth. Honestly, most of his knowledge of Egypt and the Egyptian gods came from another source entirely. For a moment, sadness made its way into Ryou's mask, and though it only lasted a mere moment, Harry had seen it. Harry wasn't stupid. He could tell family was undoubtedly a touchy subject for Ryou and though he wanted to know why, he wasn't going to ask.

"Okay, you know I've been kind of curious for awhile now. Do you have your deck for that card game?" He asked. As he hoped, Ryou's face brightened considerably and he nodded.

"I take it with me everywhere. Do you have a deck?" He asked. It would be great if he did. They could have duel! Unfortunately Harry shook his head.

"I didn't really know about it until a few months ago when it started to catch on like wildfire" Harry explained. "I've been wondering what the game was like though. It can't be as simple as placing down cards and whoever is stronger wins." Ryou smiled at Harry and told him to wait a minute while he got his cards. Harry took a seat on the couch as Ryou ran upstairs. He returned pretty quickly with a small box. He pulled a perfectly stacked deck out and fanned some of the cards so Harry could look at them.

"You're right; it's not as simple as stronger monster wins. There are magic cards, trap cards, field cards, effects… Yugi has a card that actually can't be defeated by a monster that has attack points higher than a certain amount." Ryou said happily. Harry stared at the scraps of paper curiously, noticing yet again how excited Ryou got when he talked about his passions.

"So the smartest player wins huh?" He said as he read some of the descriptions on the cards. Part of him was tempted to try it out himself, but he didn't really have the money to waste on cards.

"Typically. I mean, everyone has different strategies, and some people try to just overwhelm you with sheer strength, but there's usually a way to counter everything." Ryou chirped. Harry smiled.

"Here's another question… are all the monsters in this game so…" He trailed off, not really sure how to describe the cards in Ryou's deck. Ryou chuckled and shook his head, knowing exactly what Harry meant.

"No. A lot of duelists have themes in their decks though. I have an occult theme" He explained and Harry let out an 'oh' of understanding. He smiled again. It was just funny to think that this white haired bright hearted boy enjoyed the occult so much. He wondered what Ryou would think if he knew magic was real. Harry continued to flip through the cards. Honestly, he wouldn't be surprised if some of the monsters depicted really did exist out there somewhere. He stopped and stared at one car in particular and instantly Ryou smile at him.

"That's the change of heart card. It's my favorite."

"But why is the background green?" Harry asked and Ryou quickly explained that it was a magic card, not a monster card.

"What about this one? What does this do?" Harry asked as he pointed to a card with just the letter E on it.

"That's part of destiny board. If you can play all five of them, you instantly win." Ryou explained, and Harry furrowed his brow.

"That seems kind of broken" He replied and Ryou chuckled.

"Well, it does have a drawback. You can only play up to five magic or trap cards at a time, so you can't complete the word if you have any spells or traps on the field. Also, if even one of the cards is destroyed, the others become useless but still use up one of the magic and trap card places." Ryou knew his deck's weaknesses well and he knew how to overcome this weakness too, but he didn't really need to explain the field effects of dark sanctuary to Harry. He had a feeling it would be too overwhelming for someone new to the game.

"So do they spell something?" Harry asked, picking out another letter and another. "E, T, D…"

"Yeah… it spells 'death'. You know, because it results in the instant game over of the other player." Ryou said quietly with a smile and Harry shivered. Ryou chuckled lightheartedly at Harry's reaction.

"That's another thing about this game. If you can get in your opponent's head, they'll be more likely to make mistakes. Jounouchi once told me he was afraid to go against me just because he thought my deck was creepy." Ryou smiled.

"Yeah I can agree to that" Harry mumbled which only made Ryou giggle. Soon Ryou was gathering up his cards and placing them gently in the box he had brought them down in. Harry noticed he treated them with a lot of care.

"Harry, are you going to let Hedwig out flying again?" Ryou asked after he returned from storing his cards. Harry frowned a bit.

"I'm not sure. I'd really like to, but chances to sneak her out don't come around very often." He replied and Ryou seemed disappointed. Harry glanced at the white haired boy curiously as Ryou clearly tried to fight a nervous grin from spreading onto his face. There was also a faint sign of a blush and for a moment, Harry thought Ryou made a slight movement that resembled a shake of the head, but he wasn't positive.

"Did you eat with your family last night Harry?" Ryou asked suddenly, looking up to meet Harry's eyes. Harry looked away and didn't answer. Ryou's shoulders slumped and he dropped his gaze.

"Really Ryou, that's just how the Dursleys are with me. It's completely normal." Harry tried to assure him but Ryou vehemently shook his head.

"It's not normal at all Harry. If that's how it is every day, isn't there a way you can change it? How they treat you?" Ryou asked, looking at Harry yet again with his big brown eyes. Harry was still getting used to a muggle caring about him like this. A muggle friend.

"Ryou, I really don't think they can change." Harry was stopped yet again by Ryou's shaking head.

"Everybody can change Harry. You've just got to give them a chance to."

/You've been preaching that a lot lately haven't you Yadonushi? /

Ryou immediately blushed and looked away, rubbing his hair.

0

Days became weeks and before Ryou knew it, he had been in Little Whinging for an entire month already. He had come to London about a week before the end of his first term in Japan. His friends had made a big deal about him leaving even though he told them he would be back in time for next trimester.

"August 2nd." He said happily as he glanced at the calendar he had hung in the kitchen. His father hadn't come for a visit once since his arrival here and his calls were few and far between. Ryou was used to it and focused instead that in just another short month he would be back home in Japan with his friends. Well, most of his friends. He and Harry had spent a lot of time together these past few weeks. Ryou was also happy to see the Dursleys treating Harry better when he visited their house.

"I'm going to go meet up with Harry in the park today Koe." He chirped. The spirit of the ring was quiet for a moment before finally speaking up.

/You're awfully cheery today Yadonushi/

Ryou shrugged and cleaned up his breakfast plate. He enjoyed his time with his English friend. Harry was really the only real friend he had made in Little Whinging. Sure a lot of the other kids played nice around him, but their compliments felt fake. One or two of the people were actually afraid of him and he couldn't understand why. The spirit of the ring chuckled at the thought which made Ryou frown a bit, but he didn't ask.

After a minute or two to get himself in order, he headed for the front door. He glanced out the window as he walked, enjoying the light that lit the room now that the new windows had finally replaced the covered holes in the wall. He checked his pockets and rolled his eyes as he pulled out a pocket knife and place it on the table. Finally he was ready to go. His hand was literally on the doorknob when he heard the familiar ring of the telephone. He stopped and turned around to face it, pondering if he should just let the answering machine get it. With a sigh, he headed over to the phone hanging on the wall and picked it up.

"Hello?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who don't know, when the unworthy try to wear the Millenium Ring, it will plunge its spikes into the person and burn them from within until they die.


	6. Darkness Strikes

As the sun crept in through his barred windows, Harry reached out a hand and let it slap loudly on the bedside table. Finally he felt the familiar pieces of glass beneath his fingers. He pulled them over and pushed his glasses on his face. He breathed heavily, trying to will away the residual images of his latest nightmare. The boy pushed himself to a seated position and shook his head.

"Just another dream" He mumbled to himself. He glanced out the window and took in the bright morning. He told Ryou he would meet up with him today. Hopefully his muggle friend could help him forget the events from last year's horrible tournament. Maybe spending time with the living would help him forget the dead.

Harry got dressed and fed Hedwig quickly. The Dursleys glared at him as he entered the kitchen and he smirked at them in return.

"Where are you going boy?" growled his uncle. Harry smirked again.

"To see Ryou." Thanks to Ryou Bakura's arrival, Harry's time in Little Whining had become much more tolerable. The Dursleys never questioned him hanging out with Ryou since Harry was the only way to convince the boy to come over to visit the house. They had tried to get Dudley to befriend him too, but Ryou didn't really warm up to the portly boy and would politely refuse any outings Dudley suggested. Having Ryou in the house also made the Dursleys respect Harry more. It was all a show for the white haired boy with the connections, but Harry took full advantage of the better treatment.

Harry sent one last glance towards Dudley who was sitting on the couch watching television. Harry caught sight of the TV as well. The news was still trying to get information on an item that was stolen last month. Harry swore it looked familiar but that was probably just because the owner had been posting pictures of the dog statue everywhere. Now that he thought about it, Harry realized there had been a string of robberies lately. Paranoia gripped him as he wondered if it had anything to do with Voldemort. Harry knew it was only a matter of time before that snake faced bastard tried to kill him again. Maybe he was sending his followers, the Death Eaters, to steal from the area as a sign that he knew where Harry was and he could come for him at any time.

Harry shivered at the thought and headed out the door with wary eyes.

0

Harry made it to the park relatively quickly and was pleased at the sight of a white mop of hair already sitting on the swing set. He started heading over, raising his hand and preparing to call out to his friend, but stopped. Ryou was sitting on the swing alone, but he was definitely talking. Harry watched curiously as Ryou seemed to mumble something, then sit in silence. He even shrugged and shook his head lightly. Harry quietly approached, unnoticed by the boy who was completely absorbed in his conversation with himself. This wasn't the first time he had seen Ryou talk to himself, but Ryou looked so down Harry's curiosity was demanding he eavesdropped.

"That's your own fault for going on a spree like that….. No I'm not. I'm just… I was just looking forward to going back is all…. Huh? Koe?" Ryou finally stopped talking, his body frozen. His head whipped around so he was staring at Harry in surprise. Harry pretended he had only just walked up.

"Hey Ryou. Been waiting long?" He asked, but his farce wasn't fooling Ryou. Harry didn't know how he did it, but Ryou was pretty good at figuring out when he was being watched. It was like he had a sixth sense for it or something.

"I know you were there for awhile Harry." Ryou replied. His eyes were guarded, which Harry thought was odd.

"Honest, I only just came a few minutes ago." Harry sighed, trying to think of a way out of this mess. Luckily Ryou was happy to help him get out of a potentially awkward situation.

"I know it's a little weird… me talking to myself. Sorry, there's just been… a lot in my mind." Ryou said calmly as he faced forward on his swing. Harry smiled, relieved he hadn't damaged his only non-magic related friendship, and sat beside him.

"I thought you looked a little depressed. Did something happen?" Harry asked and Ryou immediately seemed disheartened. Harry wondered if it had to do with yesterday. Yesterday was a Sunday and Harry never saw his friend on Sunday. The only time he ever did see him was that first week when he ran into Ryou buying flowers.

"Nothing really important. My father called me this morning. He's staying in Egypt a little longer." Ryou started. Harry nodded slowly. He knew Ryou was living alone, waiting for his dad to join him. Ryou wasn't keen on talking much about his family life, and it was only after Harry pointed out that he never saw Ryou's dad whenever he visited that Ryou finally told him the situation. Harry felt a little bad for Ryou, but was confused him was that Ryou gave off the impression that he was used to this kind of behavior from his dad. Why was he taking it so hard this time?

"Well, there's still a month left in summer. I'm sure he'll make it down soon." Harry offered, but Ryou only shook his head.

"No. He told me he can't make it. He wants me to stay here for the school year since England is so much closer to Egypt. He said he marked his calendar so he can spend Christmas day with me." Ryou's voice sounded both hopeful and disbelieving at the same time. Harry understood now why Ryou was depressed. He had been looking forward to going back home to Japan and seeing his friends again. Now his father had sentenced him to an even longer stay in a place where he would be even more alone than before once the school year began.

"Hey Harry, where do you go to school? Maybe we will be attending the same one." Ryou's eyes were optimistic and the idea seemed to cheer him up a bit. Harry was reluctant to answer and turned his head forward, letting himself move back and forth gently on his swing.

"Um… I go to…" He stopped to think. Crap, what was the name of the place his uncle told everybody he attended?

" St. Brutus'. Yeah, it's kind of obscure so you've probably never heard of it." Harry attached the last sentence after Ryou gave him a confused look. Harry had been nervous this news would just be another stone in Ryou's clearly growing pile of depression and Ryou's face did seem to fall the tiniest bit.

" Oh. Well, is it anywhere near Stonewall High?" Ryou asked, trying to keep up his optimism. He was disappointed when Harry told him it was far away and he'd actually have to take a long train ride to get there.

"Well… I guess once school starts we can only hang out over the weekends huh?" Ryou said absently. Harry felt a stab of guilt for some reason. It wasn't his fault he wasn't going to be staying here once September came around. Still, he just didn't want to tell his newest friend that he wouldn't be seeing him again once he left for Hogwarts. Actually, the next month could be the last either of them saw of each other if Ryou finally went back to Japan after Christmas. He let out a saddened exhale and looked over at the boy who was still trying to stay positive and look on the bright side of things.

"Actually, it's a boarding school. I stay there for holidays too." Harry reluctantly murmured. Ryou blinked slowly in reply.

"Oh" Ryou looked forward without any readable expression and let his hands rest along the chains of the swing. So he wasn't going to get to see his friends in Japan, his father was still in Egypt with distant plans to visit him which probably wouldn't come to fruition, Harry was leaving at the start of term, he'd have to deal with Dudley by himself soon, he'd have to start in yet another new school, and Koe was moody now that his thievery was starting to get noticed. Ryou focused on the silver lining. He still had a month left before school started and he'd hopefully make plenty of new friends at Stonewall High as long as the spirit didn't interfere … and the spirit had to keep a low profile for a little while which meant less stealing. Said spirit was quietly simmering at the back of Ryou's mind as this realization was thrown into his face yet again.

"Ryou, do you feel up to visiting Hedwig today?" Harry's voice broke Ryou from his thoughts and he looked over with a tiny smile. Harry smiled back as Ryou nodded. Harry was still astounded how quickly and how well Ryou and Hedwig got along with one another. Whenever Ryou stopped by 4 Privet Drive, he insisted on visiting the snowy owl. It was one of the few things Ryou consistently asked to do, albeit always politely. Harry was hoping Hedwig could help cheer Ryou up if only a little.

0

It was a little after noon when Ryou and Harry slipped inside the Dursley's home. They tried to be as quiet as possible to avoid attracting any attention, but it was a rare thing when that plan worked. Harry flinched as the sound of his uncle's voice reached his ears, and he inwardly chuckled as Vernon's tone changed mid sentence from chastising to neutral. He glanced over his shoulder at Ryou who was respectfully replying to Vernon's greetings. Vernon instantly tried to start up a conversation with Ryou and as usual Ryou did not voice his disinterest.

"Seriously Ryou, you don't need to humor him. Just tell him you don't care a hoot about what he has to say." Harry said as he glanced at his uncle. Ryou looked shocked and embarrassed.

"No no, I … that is…" Ryou couldn't find the right words as he waved his hands in front of his face and finally looked down at the ground.

"Excuse us uncle. Ryou only came over to visit Hedwig." Harry announced as he took the initiative and stepped deliberately between Ryou and his uncle. Vernon seemed thoroughly annoyed but with Ryou right there, he was holding his tongue. Harry knew he would hear his ranting later once the boy who knew Kaiba wasn't around anymore. Harry turned and guided Ryou to the stairs. He could just make out his uncle's mumblings once Ryou was upstairs.

"I don't know why he's so fascinated by that bloody pigeon"

0

Ryou wasn't going to admit it, but he was glad Harry had stepped in. Harry's uncle was always trying to talk to him about businesses and Ryou's status in Japan. He couldn't for the life of him figure out why Mr. Dursley was so interested. He didn't really seem like the Duel Monsters type so it couldn't be related to his Battle City fame. He thought by now his celebrity status would have lost its charm on a non-dueler.

/Still so naïve./

Ryou blinked, biting back a verbal reply. He glanced at Harry's back as he trudged up the stairs and decided it wouldn't do to give a reason for his friend to start worrying about him. He inhaled and instead tried to convey his thoughts to the spirit. He didn't understand why Koe kept calling him naïve. The reply to his thoughts was a chuckle.

/Yadonushi, you should recognize when you're being used by now/ purred the voice of the ring. Ryou frowned. He opened his mouth to offer his rebuttal but shut it quickly and tightly as he remembered where he was. The spirit chuckled again.

"Ryou? You okay?" Harry's voice made Ryou jerk his head up. Harry was holding his door open, clearly waiting. Ryou immediately blushed and rubbed his hair.

"Sorry. Got lost in my thoughts." He quickly apologized as he walked in. Just as Harry had hoped, Ryou immediately brightened at the sight of Hedwig. He walked straight to her cage and reached through the thin wires to pet her soft white feathers.

"Hey Harry, I've always been curious… why do you have an owl in the first place? I didn't even know people were allowed to legally own them" Ryou spoke softly as he looked towards Harry. Hedwig nipped his finger gently, forcing the white haired child to continue petting her.

" At my school, we use owls to send messages to each other." Harry supplied as he walked over to the cage and rubbed the owl's head. He didn't notice the curious stare he was receiving from Ryou. He was too busy wondering if owning a snowy owl really was legal or not.

"Why don't you just send mail through the post?" Ryou was genuinely curious. Harry faltered.

"Uhh…because. This way…I … don't have to pay for postage…yeah. Oh, and the school I go to isn't anywhere near the post office. They aren't even on the mail route. Plus the people I usually write to live far away. Sometimes they're camping out too, so the post office would never be able to find them anyway." By camping out, he meant in hiding or somewhere magical. Details. Who needed them.

"Hedwig must be pretty amazing to be such a good messenger. And she always knows where to go and how to get back?" Harry nodded and Ryou stared at the bird in admiration. Hedwig seemed to really enjoy the attention.

"Really though… how did you get such an incredible owl?" Ryou returned his attention to Harry who was staring at the white plumed bird with a smile.

"She was a birthday present actually. A dear friend of mine gave her to me when I turned eleven." He replied. It was strange to think how long ago that was. He and Hedwig had been partners for over four years now. Things had been so much simpler back then. His life was still full of adventure, but his earlier years at Hogwarts seemed so trivial to the nightmares he had been dealing with lately.

"Say Harry… when is your birthday anyway?" Ryou asked. Harry was pulled away from his first year reminiscing and found two warm brown eyes locked onto him.

"July 31st…" He said with a shrug. His nonchalance was not appreciated.

"Jul… that was two days ago! Why didn't you tell me?" Ryou looked upset and Harry was stunned by how much Ryou cared. Again. A muggle he had only met a month ago seemed to care more about his birthday than his best friends whom he'd known for four years.

"It's no big deal. Birthdays aren't all that important anyway." Harry said smoothly, but his words did nothing to pacify Ryou.

"I'm sorry Harry, I didn't even wish you a happy birthday. We should have done something to celebrate." Ryou looked guilty at himself and Harry was ignored when he tried to tell Ryou he shouldn't be sorry since he hadn't known. Still, it was nice that somebody in Little Whining actually wanted to celebrate his birth. The Dursleys obviously never cared and probably didn't even know when his birthday was.

"when's your birthday Ryou?" Harry asked, raising his voice just a little to quiet Ryou's apologetic mumblings. The boy faltered and blinked. Harry raised an eyebrow and cocked a smile.

"Hey, I told you mine, so you have to tell me yours. It's your late gift to me. Now tell me." Harry said with a playful push on Ryou's shoulder.

"Fine, okay. It's September second." Ryou tipped his head as he thought about his own birthday. He didn't really have parties or anything. Normally the day passed by completely unnoticed. Sometimes his dad would call, but more often than not he would be too submersed in his expedition to wish his own son a happy birthday. His first real party had been his last birthday. His friends had surprised him, showing up out of the blue to his house with cake and presents. He smiled at the memory.

"September. Well there you go. I'll be in school by then, so I won't be able to do anything special for your big day either. We're even." Harry replied with a smirk.

"Oh but, don't be surprised if Hedwig stops by." Harry added as an idea lit his eyes. He wasn't the brightest crayon in the box now was he? Why hadn't he thought of this sooner? At Ryou's confused face, Harry continued with his explanation.

"I already told you I can't send or receive letters in the mail once I'm at school, but that doesn't mean I can't send or receive letters." Harry brushed his fingers along the cage that held his partner. Hedwig gave a reassuring hoot in reply.

"You can give her a letter to bring back to me too." Harry smiled as Ryou's face filled with excited understanding. Harry wasn't exactly sure if it would be suspicious for a muggle to be receiving mail via owl but the ministry of magic probably wouldn't care. Besides, how else was he going to stay in contact with Ryou? This was the only way he could think of to keep in touch without blatantly saying 'Oh by the way I'm a wizard and I have magic' and losing his only non-magical friend. Harry looked over at Ryou. He was petting Hedwig again and talking to her. Actually, considering his love for the occult, maybe Ryou wouldn't run away screaming if he told him he was something that defied logic. Something unnatural.

0

Ryou glanced at Harry. He looked like he was lost in his thoughts, not that he could say anything. Harry really was just thinking to himself when he went quiet. Ryou on the other hand had to deal with something far less natural.

/I've got it. The answers to our problem./

Ryou tilted his head and looked back to Hedwig. Quietly he mumbled under his breath.

"What problem, Koe? Hedwig here will let us keep in touch w— "

/Not that, Yadonushi. You go to London every Sunday anyway, and in London, you aren't the 'new face' in town. Nobody will take notice of a few more missing items when crime already occurs everywhere there. Although…./

Ryou blinked as the spirit trailed off, the shared thoughts between them growing faint until the voice was no longer audible. Ryou did not like where this was going. The spirit of the ring had definitely been voicing his own thoughts out loud (Well… in a way), not really speaking to Ryou.

"Koe? You're not planning anything bad are you? Of course he is. That's the only type of planning he ever does." Ryou audibly sighed as he scratched Hedwig on the head. It looked like Sundays weren't going to be his quiet visiting days anymore.

"Ryou, when do you start at Stonewall?" Harry asked, causing the white haired teenager to look up at him with his well worn smile.

"September second" Ryou replied as he turned to face Harry properly, resting his pale hands on his lap.

"Mm schoolwork on your special day. Best birthday present ever huh?" Harry said, words dripping with heavy sarcasm. Ryou chuckled lightly.

"I guess you'll be leaving before then if you'll already be at your boarding school." Ryou voiced his guess and Harry nodded. "When do you leave?"

"Huh. Sometime at the end of August. It varies from year to year" Harry responded, smiling at what could only be an inside joke. Ryou wondered if he should ask what was funny, but decided it he should not intrude. It was probably something he shared with his other friends. The ones he'd known for years.

"How is Saint Brutus' anyway? I don't think I've ever heard of it." Ryou said as he shook his head after failing to picture the school. He didn't know anything about any of the schools in England except for the ones he had attended before moving to Japan. Still, that was a pretty good handful of schools thanks to certain… incidents. Suddenly he heard laughter.

Apparently the spirit of the ring was finally paying attention to Ryou again.

"It's uhh…. Nice for a school I guess. Strict discipline there and some of the teachers are a little … off… but overall the staff is excellent and school grounds are quite the sight." Harry spoke calmly, wondering what was okay to say and what would be better kept to himself. He had a feeling if he continued to talk about Hogwarts he'd let something slip. Best way to remedy that danger was a change in subject.

"What about Japan? How is it on the other side of the world?" He asked with a tiny laugh. Ryou took the bait and seemed to be thinking about what to say. It was a big country, so he probably had a lot to tell.

Ryou contemplated his reply. He would have to be careful if he mentioned his friends, particularly anything involving strange supernatural phenomenon. Best to avoid the topics of Yugi and Malik all together.

"It's really modern where I live. Kaiba has his corporation centered in Domino City, so all the latest technology is available to the residents right away. The inner city can get really crowded but overall it's just like any little city." Ryou explained.

"Did you move to Japan for that dueling game?" Harry was curious. Of all the places to move, why somewhere so far away as Japan? Especially since it was clear that Ryou lived there alone, just like he lived here alone. It would have been one thing if he was living with family, but Ryou had told Harry before that it was just him and his dad now.

"If I wanted to move to the heart of Duel Monsters, I'd move to America. That's where the card game originally came from" Ryou said with a smile. Technically the cards did come from America even if Duel Monsters was inspired by a much more sinister Egyptian game. Ryou chuckled at Harry's surprise.

"So then… why Japan?" Harry pressed. Ryou merely shrugged.

"I've told you before my father got a job as curator at the local museum there. Plus he thought it was best if I moved out of England for awhile." Ryou stopped there and looked away from Harry's curious eyes. It was a topic Ryou didn't really want to touch on. Harry didn't seem to recognize Ryou's discomfort on the topic this time.

"why?" He asked. Ryou sat in silence for a moment. What should he tell him? He really didn't want to talk about his mother right now, nor did he want to mention the spirit. Ever. But Harry had done research on Ryou before. He had admitted he looked him up when he first moved in to the Harthrow House. He might look this up too. The truth would probably be the best answer. Ryou looked up and took a breath to speak, but it caught and he faltered. He blinked and looked at Harry again, slowly smiling.

"The old man was just scared about the rumors floating around. Kids were falling asleep in schools all around the city and nothing could wake them up. Unexplainable comas. Dear sweet daddy wanted to get me away from all that." Ryou purred with a smirk planted on his face. Harry was genuinely surprised about this information. He wasn't one for gossip so he hadn't heard about this before. The smile on Ryou's face gave him chills too. It wasn't really a thing to smile about, but then again, Ryou did have a fascination with that type of stuff. Harry failed to make any connections to Ryou's story and the rumors surrounding Ryou's house.

0

The duo headed downstairs. The sky was getting dark and Ryou didn't want to stay for dinner. He honestly didn't want to because he thought it would be a bother to the Dursleys. Harry had finally gotten over his astonishment about Ryou's reasoning. Ryou tended to put others' feelings before his own. Not always, but often enough. Harry was just saying good bye to Ryou when Vernon walked into the room.

"I do hope you will come to visit after Potter has left for … 'school' " Harry's uncle said, trying to keep his tone pleasant.

Ryou gave a polite smile but said nothing as he turned and headed out the door.

0

Ryou exhaled a wispy cloud of breath. He rubbed his hands together and planted them in his pockets as he walked. The sky was already dark and the clouds were determined to help darken the night even more. The longer he walked the darker and colder the night seemed to get. He gave a reluctant shiver as the cold air nipped at him.

/What's wrong? Scared?/ echoed the voice in the boy's head tauntingly.

"No! It's just chilly out." Ryou countered, tugging his jacket closed and blushing as he heard the spirit's laughter ringing through his ears.

"I'm serious. If you had your own body, you'd feel it to." Ryou barked. The spirit was quiet for a moment which caused Ryou to stop and think about what he just said. "Koe, I…"

/You're touchy tonight aren't you Yadonushi?/ The sentence sounded more like a statement than an admonishment.

Ryou furrowed his brow and rubbed his arm. He didn't know why he snapped like that. He felt guilty now. He shivered again and braced himself for the spirit's mockery. When none came he instantly spoke with a scornful tint to his tone.

"What, are you all done ridiculing for the night? Too tired to pick on the person whose body you're infesting?" Ryou said before immediately slapping his hand over his mouth. Laughter greeted him, but it was different from the usual teasing laughter the spirit usually directed at Ryou. It was more like the laughter he offered to the Pharaoh – dark and twisted.

/ Yadonushi , looks like somebody's finally grown a spine. Color me impressed. Here I am playing nice and letting you keep your consciousness awake all the time. Clearly I'm giving you too much leeway./

Ryou removed his hand from his mouth. He had to apologize. He was acting so awful towards the spirit of the ring for no reason. He had to say he was sorry. When he opened his mouth to try to speak again, something he was not used to began to flare up within him, overpowering the guilt. Anger.

"Hah! What a load of bull. YOU, giving ME too much leeway? This is MY body! If anything I'm giving YOU too much free reign." He pretty much yelled, and this time both hands clapped over his mouth. That had not been an apology. What was wrong with him?

The spirit was honestly stunned. Something was not right here. Even Ryou could tell that. Still, the thief was growing angry as Ryou persisted with this little charade. He prepared to reply to his foolish little host when he finally felt a prickle from the darkness. He stared through Ryou's eyes as the white haired boy turned towards a bright light that lit up an alleyway not too far away. It was warm and silvery in color and it almost looked as if it was blowing away the darkness that layered itself on the world this cold night.

Ryou blinked, mind blank of both his own thoughts and the spirit of the ring's. It didn't last and soon his mind was flooded.

/…Yadonushi/

Ryou clutched his head and gritted his teeth. Images flashed through his mind. Terrible pictures of a blood splattered car, a crushed little girl, and his mother's blank eyes. He fell to his knees and shivered uncontrollably.

/Yadonushi!/

What was that sound? He didn't know and it didn't matter. His heart was pounding and it wouldn't stop. He cried out in anguish as he saw his family die again. He saw his friends disappear one by one from unnatural comas. He saw his own hand being thrust onto the pointed spire of a poly-resin model castle, listened to laughter that was not his own erupt from his mouth.

/Yadonushi, pull yourself together!/

That sound again. It was familiar yet so very distant. It didn't matter. He was too concerned with watching himself being stabbed by his own hands.

/YADONUSHI/

"K-koe…?" That was what it was called right? Koe?

Ryou blinked in confusion and went wide eyed at the thing that was before him. How had he missed it? A monster draped in black shredded cloth was drifting towards him. He couldn't stop shivering and he could feel cold tears that must have fallen from his eyes. The monster drifted closer to Ryou and he gasped. The images replayed themselves and he had to stifle his scream.

/Yadonushi, block it out! You've … Augh, don't die from this!/

Frustration was evident in the voice and suddenly Ryou felt something warm against his chest. The feeling spread and flooded his body as a completely foreign and yet entirely familiar presence pressed against his mind. Something pulsed around his feeble frame and pushed the bad pictures away. The strange cloaked monster hesitated, unsure of this unusual power that seemed to surround its victim.

The pulsations pressed against the floating creature, trying to keep it back. The creature continued forward until the shadows on the ground reached upwards and circled their white haired master. Ryou saw and felt his arm thrust forward, though it was not his doing. He could feel the dark tendrils of the living shadows wrapping around his outstretched limb and surging forward toward the creature. He watched as the shadows stretched out like a piercing net, tearing through the wraith like creature's cloak and body. He heard it cry a hoarse screech and watched the once rigid obsidian blades of darkness mold around the creature, wrapping their way up towards its head and stifling its screams. The monster was violently forced against the ground, pressed flat against the hard cement. Ryou shivered again, feeling something slam against his mind. It started to break in, bringing with it the trickling coldness. Ryou's breathing became rapid as he anticipated the horrible replay of nightmares that was sure to come. Something on his chest burned and the coldness ebbed away.

/calm yourself Yadonushi./

"K-Koe" Ryou stuttered. He was surprised the words came from his lips. He was positive he was not the one controlling the body, and yet he was the one speaking. He was feeling light headed. Maybe he could just…

/Yadonushi, stay awake!/

Ryou blinked and jerked in shock at the forcefulness of the command. Again he looked at his outstretched limb. He tried to flex his fingers and to his amazement they obeyed. Then they curled into a fist and pulled back, which was definitely not something he told his hand to do. His head turned towards the dark monster that had attacked him and the shadows that strapped it to the ground seemed to just swallow it up.

Ryou's arm fell to his side and soon his body fell flat on the ground. He only just realized he was in a cold sweat. His whole body was icy and his mind felt a little numb as that strangely unrecognizable familiar warmth began to fade from it.

He let peaceful unconsciousness take him.


	7. After Effects

A thin pale frame jerked and sprang up mere seconds after collapsing on the asphalt of the street. The boy panted lightly as he used his arms to support his weight. Slowly his breathing evened out and he leaned his head against his knees.

"Stupid Yadonushi…. I said don't pass out…" the spirit of the ring growled. He sat still for a moment as he let some strength return to his weary limbs. Luckily Ryou waited to lose consciousness until after whatever the hell that thing was that attacked them was gone. Consumed by the shadows. The spirit's sadistic nature caused the tiniest grin to slip onto his face at the thought of watching that thing literally being torn to shreds until nothing remained. His amusement however did not want to last and soon his mind was focusing on other things.

Bakura shuddered and flexed his fingers to convince his blood to bring warmth back through his arms and hands. Ryou hadn't been lying about the chill in the air. He glanced upwards from his seat in the street and looked around, knowing too well that if there was one, there could be more of those creatures around. Bakura turned his head towards the place that strange monster had last stood. The ground looked un-phased except for a few stray pieces of shredded cloth. He let his gaze scan the sky and trace the darkness of the road. With that monster gone, the sky already seemed brighter and the night already less frigid… but that could have just been his imagination.

At last the thief forced himself to his feet. He had taken complete control of the body as soon as Ryou's consciousness slipped away from him. Now his other half was resting quietly in his soul room, oblivious to the world.

Things were not adding up. What was that thing and how had it been able to invade Ryou's mind like that? His hand pressed against the ring that had literally burned his chest during the encounter. He had used physical pain to numb the mental pain and brought his host somewhat back to his senses. Additionally, the wall he usually put up to keep Ryou from snooping through his thoughts seemed to keep whatever strange mental magic the cloaked creature had at bay, if only for awhile. As his thoughts dwelled on the strange fight, he wondered about his landlord. He had been unsure what would happen to Ryou, more importantly the body he currently resided in, if his host was suppressed or blacked out while the enemy still had influence over his mind. It was this uncertainty that led him to not even attempt to push Ryou's mind back when he chose to go on the attack.

One last thing had the thief baffled. Bakura had surprised himself with the strength and ease of his attack on the creature. He glanced at his hand, palm up, and balled it into a fist. How was it he had managed to pull together that level of power and yet he was still having difficulty fully suppressing his host when he took command? The thief placed his hand on his forehead with a sigh before running his hand through his hair.

0

The boy sprang up in a panic, panting and sweating even as a chill shot up his spine. His eyes dashed about the room until at last he calmed down. Everything around him was familiar. He was in his room. Everything was okay. Still he felt unsure and downright depressed. It was like a weight was sitting in his chest, telling him the day was not going to be worth it. He had no idea how long he had been in bed, but his body was still thoroughly exhausted. Maybe it was because of that nightmare he had.

/That wasn't a nightmare Yadonushi/

Ryou scrunched his face in confusion. Of course it was a dream. If it had been real, how did he end up back in his room in bed? He pulled away his covers and swung his legs lazily over the edge. It was then he noticed he was still wearing his street clothes, sneakers included. He sat like that a moment, tired eyes looking over his rather run down appearance. He didn't really care though. At last he stood up and quietly headed downstairs, not bothering to change. There really was no point anyway.

He stood at the base of the stairs a moment, letting his blank eyes take in the room. His stomach let out a soft murmur which brought Ryou's dull brown gaze to the kitchen. He blinked and decided he really didn't feel up to making food right now. Hours seemed to pass by as the white haired boy sat aimlessly in his house, sighing every now and again. He hadn't even bothered to call out of work.

/Go visit Harry./

Ryou let his head tip to the side, though his face still seemed completely lackluster. He thought he should ask why, but the words never reached his lips.

/your depression is annoying. Now go visit the Potter kid and his owl./ demanded the voice. The last thing the spirit needed was for Ryou to start neglecting taking care of his body like this. He had given Ryou time to get over the attack from the night before, but apparently that approach wasn't working and he sure as hell had no intentions of cooking and cleaning.

Ryou let out another sigh and headed out the door without arguing. It would be pointless to try to argue with the spirit anyway.

The whole town seemed quiet this afternoon. Nobody was out and nothing dared to make a sound. Ryou's trip to Privet drive was made even more uneventful from not only the lack of talk, but lack of thoughts. The only thing that would take up space in the boy's head (besides a slightly evil spirit) was the occasional thoughts of hopelessness or pessimism. He looked up at the door of 4 Privet Drive and slowly raised his hand to give a weak knock. He noticed the curtain in the window was tugged open a bit so someone could peek outside, but he didn't seem to care. He heard locks sliding out of place and at last the door was opened. Vernon was standing there with a clearly forced smile.

"Good day Ryou. What can I help you with?" he asked. The spirit was suspicious that the fat man wasn't trying to get Ryou to come in and ditch Harry as usual, but he could not get Ryou to think about this discontinuity no matter how much he pressed.

"Just came to see Harry." Ryou shrugged. Vernon was a bit surprised by Ryou's downtrodden attitude and the fact the white haired boy never once looked up at him. His surprise was suppressed and replaced with hidden irritation.

"Potter won't be seeing anyone anytime soon. Now Mister Bakura, head home. We cannot entertain today." Vernon said flatly, which was as polite as one could ask him to be when he was telling someone to leave. Ryou seemed to completely accept this and turned to go as Vernon shut the door. Somebody else, however, did not like Dursley's dismissal of Ryou after all that time spent trying to woo him over for his benefit. The boy stopped in his tracks and glanced over his shoulder at the quiet little house. He frowned and stuffed his hands in his pockets as he turned and headed back to the door. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the wooden entryway until at last he pounded his fist against it. Immediately after, his back was pressed against the wall. At first there was no answer, so he repeated the action. A moment of silence and he heard the door unlocking again. A rather angry looking Vernon stepped out and glared around for the perpetrator.

Said perp smirked and slipped inside behind him, completely unnoticed. Vernon shook his head and stepped back inside. He closed the door, completely missing the white haired boy who was leaning without a care behind it, and headed back into the living room.

"Fool." Muttered the boy as he shook his head and silently glided up the stairs. He didn't make a single sound as he coasted his way down the hall, stopping only once he reached the familiar door of the black haired kid with the scar on his head. He reached out for the doorknob and when it wouldn't open his eyes glanced at the multitude of expensive locks lining the side of the doorframe. A crooked little smirk sat on his face. Child's play.

0

Harry sat staring up at the ceiling of his room from his position sprawled across his bed. The previous night still had him riled up and this damned house was now beyond stifling. He still couldn't believe he had to go to a hearing to defend himself for…. defending himself! Didn't they understand that if he hadn't sent away those dementors with his silver patronus, they would have killed both him and his good for nothing cousin? These thoughts brought about another round of anger in the teen and he rolled over to glare at the wall.

It was only the rustling of the doorknob that brought his attention back to the real world. He sat up and glared at the door as he listened to the locks disengage one by one at an alarming rate. What now? Did his uncle finally convince his aunt to throw him out on the streets? Or maybe he finally fixed that fancy little rifle he bought right before Harry left for his first year at Hogwarts. Harry steeled himself for the verbal abuse as the door swung open. Once it did he could only stare, dumbfounded.

"Ryou?" He blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected the Dursley's to let anyone see him no matter what their status.

"Where's your bird?" grumbled the white haired boy as he walked in and quietly closed the door behind him. His eyes were locked on the empty cage in the corner, then on Harry himself.

"She's taking letters to my friends… Ryou are you alright?" Harry stared at his friend as he took in the boy's roughed up appearance. His own little drama was temporarily put on hold as he noted Ryou was still wearing the same clothes he had been in the day before. He looked pale and even as Harry watched, his face just melted into a look of complete despair. Ryou stood there by the door, looking down at his feet in silence.

"Ryou, did something happen? Did you dad call again?" Harry prodded as he stood up and walked over to Ryou. The white haired boy shook his head and shrugged.

"It's nothing," was Ryou's glum reply. Harry honestly didn't know what to say. He had never seen Ryou so disheartened before.

"There had to be a reason you came here Ryou. You can tell me you know." Harry said as he led the boy to his bed so he could sit. Ryou offered no resistance, but he also didn't offer an answer.

"Voice in my head said to come here…." Ryou trailed off whatever he was going to say next. He was still looking down, but his eyes grew slightly more alert.

"I keep thinking about something from the past. On my way home last night, it was all I could think about. It's not exactly a pleasant memory." The boy said, casting only a single sideways glance towards Harry before training his gaze on the door and letting that dull look re-enter his eyes.

Harry furrowed his brow as he listened and watched Ryou. He looked over at his luggage from school before something finally seemed to click in his head. He had stormed out of the house shortly after Ryou had left last night. Surely he didn't run into…

"Ryou, did you make it home alright last night? Nothing weird happened right?" He asked and was disappointed by Ryou's shrug. "Was it really cold and really dark?" He pressed and Ryou nodded slowly, though he still seemed devoid of anything but misery. Harry sat in thought for a second and then headed towards his school stuff. He unclipped his suitcase, making sure to keep all of his wizarding supplies hidden from view, and dug around until he found a small pentagon shaped box. He closed his suitcase and placed the box on top, positioning his hand directly above the raised top of the box. Quickly he pressed down on the paper lid. Hopefully that would stop it from hopping. Harry glanced over his shoulder at Ryou, who was still staring aimlessly at nothing with a tiny frown on his face. Harry returned his attention to the box as he pulled a little wire out of it to open it. The chocolate frog was broken into pieces. He stood up and returned to Ryou's side.

"Here. Eat some chocolate. It'll make you feel better." Harry offered as he held the broken bite sized pieces up to Ryou. Ryou just stared at them.

"Seriously, chocolate makes me feel better when I feel down. It works. Trust me." Harry forced one of the pieces into Ryou's hand and waited until the white haired boy finally ate it. Ryou blinked his eyes and Harry was relieved to see the color slowly returning to his friend's face.

Harry waited as Ryou finished up the pieces of the wizarding world's best charmed chocolate treat. After a moment more, Ryou's eyes finally seemed to retrieve the warmth they usually held. He even blushed.

"Oh, I'm sorry Harry. I can't believe I ate that all by myself. I didn't leave any for you and it was your chocolate!" He immediately apologized and Harry just chuckled.

"It's fine Ryou. Besides, I have more where this came from." He replied but didn't wait for Ryou to respond. If the chocolate had worked, then Harry's fears could be true.

"Ryou, did anything weird happen last night?" He asked again. Ryou looked over at him and had a hesitant look on his face. Harry sighed… he'd take that as a yes. "What?"

"Well, it was kinda dark…and pretty cold for August. I don't know why, but I started getting upset for no reason at all. Then I couldn't stop thinking about…couldn't stop seeing…" He trailed off and looked away. Harry could see the traces of pain in Ryou's eyes. He wasn't sure what the memory was, but he understood completely. "Anyway, I don't really remember what happened afterwards." He admitted. Harry surveyed Ryou carefully. Darkness, cold, worst memories, along with Ryou's earlier attitude all pointed to a dementor attack. Harry wondered if the dementor had actually found Ryou or if it was just near him. It wasn't like muggles could see dementors, so asking Ryou directly would give him no answers.

Well, at least he was okay.

0

"So they put you under house arrest because your cousin fainted and they think you caused it? That's a little bit on the ridiculous side isn't it?" said Ryou with a tip of his head. Well, okay maybe it wasn't ridiculous for him.

"Yeah, but there's no reasoning with them. Especially on this type of thing." Harry said bitterly. Anything magic related was taboo in this house and although it was always the blame, it was never the excuse.

"Oh Ryou, earlier you said something about a voice telling you to come here." Harry had been curious about that strange sentence since Ryou had gone back to his normal self a few hours ago. He was guessing it was just the equivalent of some sort of instinct or a gut feeling. He had been nervous about bringing it up earlier, but Ryou seemed much better now, so maybe it wouldn't be an awkward question. One glance at Ryou's red face proved otherwise. The boy let out a forced little laugh and went quiet. Harry had no idea how to interpret that. Ryou finally seemed ready to cough up some sort of reply and already Harry doubted whatever was coming would be completely true, but the boy's head jerked towards the door. Next thing Harry knew, Ryou was under his bed. Harry just blinked and stared dumbly at the floor where his friend had vanished until he finally realized the door was opening. His head snapped up to see the red faced Vernon.

"BOY! How in the blazes did you unlock this door? You vile little…what did you do?" Spat the angry ogre of a man. When Harry did not even offer a single rebuttal, his uncle tensed and prepared to slam the door. He only stopped because Harry leapt to his feet and shouted wait. He had to think fast and he forced himself not to look at his bed as he steadily walked towards the side of his room. Vernon tracked him carefully.

"Well boy?" He growled and Harry sighed. What would work? If he didn't think of something fast, his uncle would end up locking Ryou in here too.

"Well, Dudley lost something pretty valuable. He's been looking all over the house for it you know and tried to get me to help him find it" He finally said. It wasn't a total lie, it just happened weeks ago. Vernon was looking at Harry suspiciously, but was still next to the door. "Want to know what he was looking for?" He goaded, but Vernon wasn't taking the bait.

"Hah! Don't be such a fool, boy." Laughed the man as he prepared to shut the door once more.

"Hah is right! You're just like your idiotic son. You know what, personally I'm starting to think he deserved what happened to him yesterday!" shouted Harry. That worked. The door slammed open and Vernon stormed over to Harry.

"You insolent – How DARE you" He yelled as he gripped the front of Harry's shirt. Harry just smiled which only made his uncle even angrier. He looked over his uncle's shoulder and caught a glimpse of something white flash by and out the bedroom door. Harry sighed in relief and kept quiet while his uncle spit his venom. Honestly he wouldn't wish a soul stealing demon on anyone, but it was all he could think to say to get his uncle away from the door. As expected, once Vernon finished screaming his lungs out, he locked every single lock on Harry's door. Harry instantly ran to the window and looked out. A quick scan of the sidewalks rewarded him with finding his target. Ryou smiled at him from across the street and waved before turning and walking away. Harry couldn't help but smile. He sighed again as he sat himself down on his bed. His hand hit cardboard and he looked down to see the box from the chocolate frog. He picked it up to throw it away, only to find a folded up piece of paper underneath. He unfolded the bit of paper and cocked an eyebrow at the little sentence that was scrawled across the paper.

"I'll stop by tomorrow night"

0

/He knows something. It's glaringly obvious./

"You're just being paranoid, Koe." Replied Ryou as he walked down the street. He wanted to get home and shower. He was a little disappointed in himself for not bothering to get changed today. Wearing the same outfit for a week straight was something the spirit did, not him.

/Would you focus on the situation at hand instead of your hygiene? /

Ryou sighed at the spirit's badgering. "I still don't see anything suspicious, Koe. Except for us." He replied with a shrug.

/He knew something was wrong/

"Well I wasn't really acting like myself."

/He knew the night was dark and cold/

"Yeah you could tell just by looking outside."

/He knew how to get rid of your weird depression shit/

"Chocolate triggers the release of endorphins in the brain that make you happy."

The spirit was growing steadily more irritated every time Ryou defended Harry, but really, the spirit wasn't putting up a very good argument. Ryou could feel the frustration rising through their mental link.

0

The white haired boy quickly and efficiently stacked the dirty plates and wiped down the table. He used both hands to carry the food covered plates and cups toward the back room. Someone called out to him and asked him a question. Ryou nodded as he dropped off the tray of dishes.

"He was a little upset. He said if I have another no show, he's going to let me go." Ryou explained as he washed his hands. His coworker nodded in understanding.

"What made you miss work yesterday anyway?" The woman asked as she began washing dishes.

"I didn't feel very well." Ryou replied calmly. He dried his hands and headed for the door. "Well, guess I've got to get back to work. See you later." He said politely. The woman smiled and continued washing. Ryou Bakura had been working at their little diner for almost a month now. He was a good kid and the rest of the staff warmed up to their youngest part time worker pretty quickly.

"Ryou, table number 5, then you're done for the day" called the host as the white haired boy walked by. Ryou gave a nod of acknowledgement and headed to greet the customers.

0

Ryou let out a gentle exhale as he untied the black half-apron around his waist. The diner was small and as a waiter he wasn't really paid all that much, but the people were nice enough and he really didn't need much to buy food. The only time he really disliked his work was on the off chance a fan of his came in. He recalled one particular incident where a small group of teenagers came in and where sat in his section. At first everything was normal except that one of the five kept staring at him. By the time he returned with their drinks, all of them were staring. It was unnerving to say the least. Doubly so when one of the girls in the group pulled out a cell phone to take a picture of him. They would find something to call him over for such as making him get them new drinks, but one drink at a time. This way he would have to come to the table more often. Finally one just broke down and asked if his last name was Bakura. Their hollering and chanting after Ryou nodded earned the group some nasty glares from the other customers and they were determined to make Ryou stay and talk to them as long as they could no matter how earnestly he explained that he had other guests to attend to. Hours later they finally left. They didn't even leave him a decent tip. On the bright side, the host never sat that group in Ryou's section again.

The boy shook his head and folded the little apron after removing the tips he had collected today. Hopefully Mr. Dursley would let him in this time. He told Harry he would visit and he didn't want to disappoint his friend.

Unfortunately the Dursleys were especially adamant about keeping 'that boy' locked in his room alone. This time the explanation was it was getting late, which was a pretty thin excuse. Ryou had come over this late before without issue. Still, it would be rude to just barge in, not to mention illegal. He frowned and walked across the street. He still had to thank Harry for the distraction the day before and he wanted to talk about how Harry had been treated by his uncle. He thought Harry was on better terms with his family now, but apparently they weren't.

0

Harry sighed as he watched Ryou cross the street. He knew his uncle wouldn't let him in. Especially after yesterday's little outburst. He watched lazily as Ryou stopped and turned around to survey the house. Their eyes met and Ryou smiled and offered what could only be considered an apologetic wave. Harry forced a weak smile on his own face and gave a half hearted wave back. He groaned as he heard the pounding of feet racing up the poor old stairs.

"Boy! Knock it off you hear me? Don't you wave to him! It's bad enough you've warped the poor boy's mind so he'd be your … your 'friend' " came a bark through the door. The word 'friend' was so forced and spat with such disgust Harry almost laughed. However, his annoyance about the whole situation overpowered any humor he may have gotten from his uncle's apparent jealously. He lay in his bed for the rest of the night, slightly disappointed Ryou hadn't been able to get in. He finally started wondering how Ryou had made it in before. Now that he thought about it, his friend had clearly snuck in; otherwise he wouldn't have had to sneak out. Who would have thought Ryou of all people would sneak into somebody's house like that? He did it all just to talk to him too.

Around the same time the next evening, Harry caught sight of Ryou being turned away again. He seemed visibly upset this time around, but Vernon was being strict about this. Harry watched as Ryou stopped a few steps down the street and turned to face his house again. He was wearing a tiny little pout on his face which Harry thought looked ridiculously funny. This was probably one of the reasons teenage boys shouldn't pout. Ryou said something and crossed his arms, then said something else. Harry couldn't help but note how much Ryou talked to himself. Well, he couldn't really blame him. He had done it himself numerous times. It came with living alone. Sure he had the Dursleys, but honestly it was probably no different than living by himself. Once again Harry collapsed onto his bed and cursed his bedroom shaped prison.

0

Ryou was a rosy shade of red as he fumbled with the bit of metal in his hands. At the back of his mind, the spirit of the ring was howling with laughter. The spirit tried to say something, but couldn't get a clear sentence out through the laughter and Ryou hung his head in shame. Finally the voice was quieting down as Ryou sat huddled beside the door, more than a little disappointed with himself. How had it come to this? He was a horrible person.

/Oh yes, so horrible for wanting to see your little friend. Stand up Yadonushi, this is far too amusing for you to give up now./ purred the voice. Ryou buried his head in his arms and mumbled something completely incoherent. Luckily the spirit of the ring didn't have to actually listen to Ryou to hear him.

/Aww, poor poor Yadonushi. Do you want me to help you?/ The voice was so taunting. Ryou leaned his cheek against his arm and looked at the locked door. A seed of distrust was in his mind.

/Come now Yadonushi. You're trying to sneak into this house aren't you? My innocent little Yadonushi wants to break the law./ the voice let out another laugh. He really seemed to be getting a kick out of this. Ryou knew it was a bad idea. He stood up and prepared to head for home, but suddenly his legs felt stiff.

/Koe? Ah! You didn't… Oh come on Koe!/

The boy chuckled again as he faced the door. He picked up the pathetic wire of a paperclip Ryou had been attempting to use and opened the door in seconds.

"You thought too much about it Yadonushi. Muscle memory. I've done this enough times for the body to know what to do," purred the spirit of the ring as he stepped inside with a smirk.

/Stop, this was a mistake! We should leave now. I shouldn't have brought us here. We should – Hey! Come on Koe, put that back!/

Bakura laughed aloud, though now that he was in control of the body, he kept his voice down. He quietly made his way upstairs and reached out a hand to touch the locks on the side of the bedroom door.

"Hush Yadonushi. You don't want to wake anyone…" snickered the spirit as the locks came undone one by one. He glanced sideways down the hall towards the master bedroom. He could see a shadow moving through the space beneath the door, but by the time that door opened, the thief was already gone.

0

Harry stared. Even without his glasses, the white blob he saw open his door and enter his room was unmistakable. Quickly he grabbed his glasses and pushed them onto his face.

"Ryou?" He asked, only to be instantly shushed by a smirking white haired boy. They stayed in silence as footsteps echoed down the hall, followed by the flush of a toilet. At last the white haired boy moved from his spot pressed against the wall and headed over to the bed.

"Yo." He said as he held up his hand in a makeshift greeting. Then he blushed and looked at his feet, letting that raised hand instantly go to his head. "Anou….I ….anou…"

Harry laughed quietly and sat properly on his bed. It was somewhat strange that Ryou had managed to sneak into his house at ten at night, but honestly he needed to have some sort of civilized talk with someone seeing as his family only yelled at him and his so called friends still hadn't written him a single bloody response to the letters he sent them.

"Ah, I see. You're finally getting even for that time I broke into your house right?" Harry said with a smile.

/Oh no worry there. We collected that debt weeks ago/ chuckled the spirit of the ring. Ryou's blushed deepened.

"I just wanted to check on you and say thanks. For helping me get away last time." Ryou finally found words, but his blush didn't want to fade. This was insane. It was something the spirit of the millennium ring would do, sneaking around at night and breaking into houses. What possessed him to do such a thing? Oh…right….

The spirit laughed yet again.

"How did you manage to get in here anyway?" Harry asked, genuinely curious. He was positive the door was locked.

"Anou, I just, well… the chain lock was easy enough and the rest, anou…just…anou…I'm good with locks?"

Harry just stared at Ryou a moment, biting back a laugh. "Oh" He chuckled. Ryou looked completely flustered and that reply was so obviously forced.

Ryou tried to recover from that terrible blunder of an excuse by explaining when he first started living alone, he'd forget his keys a lot. Instead of losing all of his pocket money calling the locksmith over and over and over again, he just learned to pick locks. It was a stretch, but far more believable than 'I have a voice in my head that likes to take over my body on go on the occasional thieving spree.'

"Here's another question. What does 'ano' mean? I've heard you say it before. Is it Japanese?" Harry asked and Ryou nodded, inwardly relieved they had moved past the subject of how he managed to break into Harry's house.

"I'm sorry about that. I guess I was nervous, slipping into Japanese like that. I suppose 'anou' could be translated to….um." Ryou explained. The way he used the word, it was just a thing to say to fill the silence. Some people say 'like' or 'um' and when Ryou didn't know what to say, 'anou' usually slipped out. Harry didn't seem to understand the explanation and was waiting for Ryou to finish. When Ryou gave him a curious look, Harry frowned.

"It can be translated to what?" He asked and Ryou smiled.

"Um. Or 'uh' I guess. It's meaningless." Even with this clarification it took a moment before understanding dawned on Harry's face. Ryou chuckled.

/Took him long enough. All your friends are slow./

Ryou frowned.

0

Once again Ryou found himself staring at the Dursley's door at 4 Privet drive. It was already late in the evening, but he had told Harry as he was leaving last night that he would try to visit again if he could.

/Why bother knocking today Yadonushi? You know they'll just turn you away again. Break in tonight too. That was much more entertaining/ the spirit began laughing again as the memories of Ryou's failed attempts to pick a lock the previous night flooded both of their minds.

Ryou kept quiet as he reached up his hand and gently knocked on the door. He watched as one of the Dursley's peeked out the window, and soon Harry's aunt Petunia opened the door.

"Good evening." Ryou said, polite as always. She greeted him back and instantly invited him in. Ryou was surprised but took advantage of the change in atmosphere. Even Vernon seemed much happier than he had been the past few days.

"Oh, Ryou my boy, how nice of you to stop by." The man greeted. Ryou was confused and he could feel the suspicion building within the spirit of the ring.

"I'm here to visit Harry." Ryou decided to fire this bullet now rather than later. Vernon apparently anticipated that, although he couldn't hide all of the distaste from his face at the request.

"Harry has already left for school. Did he ever tell you he attends St. Brutus' Secure Centre for Incurably Criminal Boys?" Vernon said happily, eager to break whatever bond Harry and Ryou had managed to build over the summer. Ryou stared at Vernon a moment before finally replying with a flat 'yes'. This surprised the man who seemed a little put out.

"Sorry to disturb you then. I should go." Ryou bowed and instantly headed out the door, ignoring the calls for him to wait.

Harry already left for school? But it was still early August! And yes, he said he went to St. Brutus', but he left out the 'Secure Centre for Incurably Criminal Boys' part. Harry didn't seem like a criminal though. Why would they send him there? Then again, the Dursley's seemed unreasonably happy to have Harry gone. Maybe they sent him there because they have it in their minds that something really is wrong with Harry. Could a family actually feel so completely disgusted with their own kin? If anything, something was wrong with the Dursleys.


	8. Letters and London

Harry listened as calmly as he could. He couldn't help but feel sour no matter what excuses those two threw at him. Luckily Hedwig had done her job well and Harry contented himself with looking as his friends' hands. He could still make out the cuts from Hedwig forcing them to write back to him after he sent her out the night of the dementor attack. He sighed and grabbed a piece of parchment from his trunk. He ignored the confused stare of his red headed friend and blocked out the apologies of the frizzy haired brunette who was trying to make him understand why they hadn't been able to contact him that summer. Soon they fell silent as Harry sat at the desk and dipped the tip of a worn out old feather quill into a small vile of ink.

"….Who are you writing to mate? Isn't everyone you'd write to here?" the red head asked, which earned him a disappointed glare from the brunette and a dark scowl from Harry.

"Believe it or not Ron, I have other friends besides you. And personally, I like to keep in touch with people I consider my friends" Harry replied with just a hint of bitterness in his voice.

"Oh Harry, how many times do we have to apologize? And you can't send a letter right now anyway. It's just not safe if an owl is seen flying back and forth not to mention Dumbledore won't allow it." The girl explained, trying to get the black haired boy to understand their situation. Harry's fists clenched and he stopped his writing mid sentence. He took a deep breath and dropped the quill.

"Well Hermione, how else am I supposed to explain? I did just disappear without any warning. God knows what the Dursleys told him" Harry growled as his face contorted into a look of disgust. He could bet his uncle was already spitting slander against him now that he wasn't there to defend himself. He was so caught up in his mental ranting he almost didn't see the looks from his friends. "…what?"

"Who are you talking about?" Hermione asked curiously, hoping to use this as a bridge to patch up their frizzled friendship.

"Oh right, you guys don't know about Ryou. Probably because you never wrote back and all…" Harry said immediately as he flicked the quill across the desk. Hermione was growing more irritated with every passing minute but she still tried to remain calm. She took a deep breath before she finally prepared a reply.

"Wait, you made a friend in your home town? Like… a real muggle one?" Ron asked incredulously. Hermione stared at Ron but she couldn't even get a word in to scold him before Harry angrily stood up from his seat by the desk. Immediately she stepped between the two. Ron was confused by Harry's reaction and it was up to her to get them to calm down.

"Ron, shush. Harry… Let's just please head downstairs. I'm starved personally, so let's get some dinner." She basically pleaded. The silence was staggering until Harry finally looked away and nodded. Soon the trio was heading through the halls of the old falling apart Grimmauld Place. Harry smirked as he looked at the decaying walls. He couldn't help but think how much Harthrow House had looked like this before Ryou Bakura had fixed it up.

0

Ryou leaned back in his bed, letting his arms crisscross behind his head as he stared up at the plain popcorn ceiling. The sun was just beginning to set and he was already in his lavender silk pajamas. The voice in his head was mocking him. The spirit was going on and on about how teenagers were supposed to live it up at night, but no, he had to go and get the defective vessel that went to bed at a reasonable hour.

"It's not that, Koe. I just don't feel like going out tonight." Ryou said with a shrug as he sat up and touched the ring that lay on his chest.

/Are you afraid of going out now that scar head has gone off and left you for his delinquent school? You know I will protect us from any harm Yadonushi/

Ryou was quiet as he mulled that over. The spirit would keep him alive at all costs, he knew that. After all, without him the spirit would be unable to interact with the world. That didn't mean Ryou wasn't going to get hurt though. In fact, he recalled a few different instances in which he was badly injured by the spirit himself.

"I'm not scared. I walk home at night all the time after work." Ryou said in his defense, even though he was well aware the spirit knew this already.

/So then you're moody because four eyes just up and left without saying anything huh? Stop being such a little girl./

Ryou sighed and hugged his pillow. He really had expected some forewarning before Harry left. He was surprised when he went to see him yesterday night only to find out he was already gone. He hadn't given the impression he was leaving that soon when they talked the night before. It looked like he would be going back to his usual solo routine. He thought about hanging out with Dudley and his friends, but just thinking about the older boys made his stomach squirm. He didn't really like the looks they gave him when he passed them on the street. They definitely seemed like the type of people who would corner a person when he or she was alone, and Ryou had no intention of walking straight into that situation.

The boy turned his brown eyes towards the window and watched the last red streaks disappear behind the black of the sky. He slipped the leather band that held the ring over his head and rested the golden charm on his bedside table.

"Goodnight Koe." He said as he slipped under the covers and curled up for bed.

0

Harry, Hermione, and Ron stood and stared at the disaster of a room they were assigned to clean for the day. Personally Harry was happy to have something to do to take his mind off of a certain hearing that was fast approaching. Even if it meant cleaning what appeared to have once been some kind of study.

"I don't even want to know what that was from" Ron said flatly as he stared at a rather large dark stain on the wooden floor board. Harry smiled, a gesture that did not go unnoticed by Hermione. It was a sure sign that Harry was finally getting over their lack of letters over the summer.

"Seriously, I'm absolutely amazed this house is even standing." Ron said in earnest. He was staring at a rotting wooden column. Harry's eyebrow rose as he thought about Ron's own home, the burrow. He was still amazed that place could stand at all. Pushing those thoughts aside, he watched as Ron carefully prodded the wood and suddenly jumped back when it crumbled.

"Ronald! Honestly, why would you touch something that looked like it was going to collapse?" Hermione scolded. Harry merely chuckled and headed over to the desk. Books and papers were stacked up in sloppy piles with cobwebs connecting them. Well, it was as good a place to start as any. He fingered the wand in his pocket and honestly contemplated whether or not to just use magic. He was already going to get expelled, so why not?

"Harry" Hermione gave him a disapproving look as she handed him a duster and placed a bucket of other cleaning supplies on the ground. Harry gave an innocent shrug as he took the duster and brushed off some of the books. Then he heard a scream. He turned his head to stare at the red head that had jumped up on the desk chair.

"Honestly, how can a place be this filthy! Spiders living in the books!" He whined as Hermione rolled her eyes and shooed the family of spiders that had crawled out of the collection of books Ron had been holding.

"You should be more careful with these. You have no idea what treasures they could have on their pages" Hermione said sternly as she scooped up the fallen books from the floor.

"Oh yeah, some treasure. A bunch of disgusting little creepy crawlers. It's impossible to clean a place this bad" He argued as he finally left the not-safety of the chair and hesitantly picked up another book.

"It's not that bad. Ryou did a great job cleaning up his place and it wasn't that far off from here" Harry noted as he stuck a group of books on a freshly dusted shelf. Hermione looked up at Harry curiously.

"You've mentioned Ryou before. Is he your new friend?" She asked. She let out an internal sigh of relief when Harry nodded instead of having another tantrum like he did the previous day.

"He just moved to Little Whinging this summer. His family owned this old house that everyone thought had been abandoned. Nobody had lived in it for years and the place looked something awful. Then one day, Ryou showed up." Harry smiled as he remembered helping out Ryou when they cleaned Harthrow House. At one point Ryou had tied scrubbing brushes to his hands and knees and just crawled across the floor. It didn't really work all that well and he downgraded it to just tying them on his feet. He and Harry ended up racing up and down the soapy hallway on their make shift cleaning shoes.

"Well at least he'd have his parents to help him out. A quick spell here and there and this would be loads easier." Ron pointed out as he tossed a crumpled ball of paper into the large trash bag they had left in the center of the room.

"He's a muggle, Ron. He cleaned his house the same way we're cleaning now" Harry said. He laughed at the astonished look on Ron's face.

"So, if he's a muggle, what did you guys talk about all summer?" Ron asked trying to think of something fun or interesting to do that was non-magic related. Harry and Hermione both shook their heads after exchanging a glance with each other.

"You know, there are plenty of topics that don't revolve around magic." Hermione said calmly. She couldn't hide her own curiosity about this mysterious Ryou though. She looked over at Harry and asked how he met Ryou.

"Well…actually… He found me in his house" Harry said sheepishly. Hermione looked baffled and wondered if she heard that right. Ron just laughed.

"Seriously? What where you doing in his house?" the freckled red head asked.

"I told you, it was supposedly abandoned. Dudley thought he saw a ghost and forced me in. It was pretty funny though. Dudley's face when Ryou came downstairs was just priceless" Harry said with a grin.

As the trio continued their attempts to make the house more livable, Harry told Hermione and Ron a bit more about his first encounter with Ryou, which led to him explaining how he managed to befriend the boy whose house he broke into. Soon enough he was telling them about his and Ryou's cleaning escapades. Cleaning went by exceptionally quickly when you could turn almost all of the chores into a game.

0

Hermione walked by the door to Harry and Ron's room on her way to dinner, but a small movement made her pause in her tracks. She glanced into the room to see the black haired boy sitting with Hedwig on his arm. He was petting her softly and saying something quietly to her.

"Harry?" Hermione gave him a curious look as she pressed the door open a little farther. Harry looked over at her and waved her on.

"I'll be right there. Just… saying hi to Hedwig before dinner" He said. He and Hermione stared at each other a moment longer before the frizzy haired brunette finally shrugged and moved on. She met up with Ron in the dining room and true to his word Harry came down a few minutes later. She let her eyes flit up to her fellow Gryffindor and waited until he sat down so she could lean over and talk without being overheard.

"Harry… you didn't come from the same direction as the room. Where did you take Hedwig?" She asked and Harry innocently smiled. Hermione frowned in response.

"Look, it's just one letter. She'll be fine. Besides, I sent letters to Sirius all the time last year and they didn't find him here." Harry said as he began to eat the food served by Mrs. Weasley. He saw no problem in one single little letter. Hermione had her hand covering her face and was clearly disappointed in him.

"Hermione dear, are you okay?" asked a nervous and caring Mrs. Weasley. Hermione quickly recovered and explained she was fine. She turned back to her food and looked at Harry and Ron who were already on the topic of Quidditch.

"I swear Harry. A little precaution wouldn't hurt you know."

0

Ryou stretched his arms and pulled the covers away as the sun streamed in through his window. He let out a nice big yawn and rubbed his eyes. He was glad he didn't work on Sundays. Today would be a day just for him and them. He smiled, though his eyes looked lost and nostalgic. He took a deep breath and pulled himself out of bed. He had a lot to tell them this week, so might as well have a good breakfast. His first stop was the bathroom and then he took on the task of getting a brush through that white mess of hair. When he returned to his room he unbuttoned his pajama shirt and tossed it in the hamper. He glanced at the golden ring that sat waiting beside his bed. After a moment, he walked over to the charm and picked it up, letting the leather chord and five golden spikes dangle. He traced the outline of the hieroglyphic eye that sat in the center of the ring. The all seeing eye of Horus. Ryou smiled at the irony that such a symbol was meant to bring its wearer safety and good health. His millennium ring had definitely brought him more trouble than anything else. Yet he could not give it up. He didn't know why, but it just felt like the ring belonged with him. He wouldn't give up the ring anyway. He couldn't.

/Yes Yadonushi. The unworthy cannot bear the ring and you are a chosen wielder. You know what happens to those unfit to wield a millennium item, don't you? /

Ryou's grip tightened around the golden trinket and he stared at the eye emblazoned on the pyramid shaped centerpiece of the ring. Finally he slipped the leather strap around his neck and let the ring rest against his bare chest. He promised himself he would learn more about the ring. Maybe if he understood it better, it would be easier to bear.

Ryou turned towards his bureau and fished out a plain gray button up shirt. He made sure the ring was snug behind the fabric, hidden from view, before he changed his pants to a pair of black jeans. He ate breakfast quickly and was out of the house by eleven. He smiled fondly at the flowers he purchased from the little shop down the street. The owners learned to expect him every Sunday and had the little bundle of Rosemary and Myosotis flowers ready and waiting for him when he arrived. With the little blue flowers in hand, he waved down a taxi and was heading towards London.

0

Ryou stepped out of the plain black taxi after thanking and paying the driver. He stared calmly at the cemetery before him as the taxi left him alone on the empty solemn street. Finally he walked past the black iron gate that marked the entrance and automatically steered himself through the multitude of gravestones that covered the land. Soon he was reunited with his family.

"Hello mom. Hi Amane." He greeted softly as he laid the delicate bundle of flowers down between the two granite stones. He let his hands drift into the deep pockets of his long black trench coat as he stared down at the graves. He suited a cemetery well. He looked like a wraith himself with his pale appearance and obsidian body length coat fluttering gently with every tiny gust.

/We even have the power over the shadows and the ability to manipulate souls/ purred the spirit of the ring, only adding to Ryou's imagery of their supernatural spectral selves.

"Please Koe." Ryou said quietly as he sat down in front of the final resting places of his mother and beloved little sister. He did not have to voice what exactly it was that he wanted. The spirit knew and respected his host's wish for silence.

And so they sat, letting the stillness of the air wrap around them as they each sank into their own thoughts. Ryou finally reached over to his lost sibling's tombstone and gently traced her name with his thin fingers.

"Amane, did I tell you? Father promised to come visit me for Christmas. I bet if he comes, we can visit you and mother together. It's been a long time since we've all been together hasn't it?" Ryou spoke quietly to the inanimate pieces of rock and the spirit dare not interrupt him.

"Hopefully he'll make it. I know he hasn't really come through with his promises in the past, but…" Here Ryou trailed off. He knew deep down that his father would most likely cancel their plans, but he could still hope. He told his little sister about what happened during the week, uninterrupted even when his stories were biased.

"I know you are watching out for me but I still miss you." He said as his other hand drifted up to touch his mother's gravestone. The rock was smooth under his hands and he felt comforted as he looked at his mother's name. He smiled as his hand brushed along the side of the smooth granite and he once again let silence lay her blanket over the land.

Finally the white haired teenager stood up, just barely disturbing the quiet that had settled around him. He looked at the graves again and took a deep breath. A smile formed on his lips as he recalled the good times he had managed to spend all those years ago. Before they were taken away from him.

"Goodbye. I'll visit again next week." He said softly as he pressed two fingers against his lips and then reached down to touch the stones. He gave one last parting look to the graves before he headed towards the exit.

"… thank you Koe" Ryou said as he reached the street. He took a breath and his eyes dulled. He stood completely still for a moment before his eyes narrowed and he looked around in suppressed astonishment.

"Yadonushi, explain." He said flatly as he folded his arms. A tiny ring of a chuckle reached him in the back of his mind.

/Koe, you said a few days ago that since people in Little Whinging were starting to notice your 'fun' that you would 'play' next time we visited London./ replied the gentle voice of the body's actual owner. Bakura stood in silent thought for a moment before he spoke up again.

"I was going to take control on my own soon anyway, Yadonushi." He said as he tucked his hands into the deep pockets of his favorite black coat. It was one of the few garments that he himself had picked out. Slowly the spirit grinned and tipped his head.

"I'm surprised Yadonushi. You know what I'm planning to do in the city and yet you still willingly gave up control. Not that anything you'd have done would have stopped me from taking command of the body anyway. " Bakura said as he began to walk down the road. He kept himself on the sidewalk. These English folk didn't seem to stop for anything…not even to avoid almost hitting a small child.

/Well, consider it … payment./ Ryou said with a smile to his mental roommate. /Every Sunday since we've been in England, you've respected my time visiting my family./

Bakura did not pause in his walk, but he was honestly stunned. It was true that he did not bother his lighter half when they visited the cemetery. He truly believed in honoring the dead, especially since he was technically dead himself. What surprised him was that Ryou had noticed Bakura's respectful silence. He had thought for sure that his host was too busy thinking of his departed mother and sister to remember the spirit's constant presence.

"Heh. Well then Yadonushi, since you're being so agreeable, I'm going to fully enjoy myself today. It'll be a nice change of pace to not have you whining about my choice of payment for my rent. Maybe you'll even learn to enjoy my trade." Bakura mused as he walked down the slowly populating road.

/…yeah, I don't think so./

Bakura let out a laugh and continued down the street. He sent a wild grin at a man who was giving him a strange look and the man quickly went on his way. Amazingly, he heard a tiny chuckle in the back of his mind. He smirked as he continued walking. Maybe having Ryou conscious when he was in control wasn't so annoyingly horrible after all.

0

Ryou stayed quiet as the spirit put his ancient skills to use in the modern day world. He grappled with his morality every time they entered a new building or 'accidently' bumped into a passerby, but he still he stayed quiet. If it wasn't for the fact that they were hurting a lot of people by stealing left and right, he probably would have admired the spirit's skill with his hands or how he could move about without drawing any attention to himself, even with their near luminous white hair. He had never really watched the spirit work before. Usually he was either forced into unconsciousness or he would spend his energy arguing with the spirit. As he sat in the room that housed his inner soul, he noticed something about the link he shared with the spirit. Right now their link was peacefully calm. Well, more so than it had ever been before. It was a nice feeling.

But was he doing the right thing? By allowing the spirit to control his body, he was just as at fault for their crimes. Suddenly guilt was nagging at his stomach and the moment of unified peace between him and the spirit of the millennium ring faded. Now the link held a mix of guilt, courtesy of Ryou, and a feeling of curiosity.

"Koe?" he called as he stood up and made his way over to the only door in this mental room. The door that connected his soul room to the corridor of souls. Gently he pushed the door open and he was greeted with the sight of the millennium ring, sitting in his hands.

0

/Koe… I thought it only did that on its own when it sensed another millennium item/ he said as he watched through the eyes of a body he had no control over.

"Interesting isn't it Yadonushi? Only a powerful source of magic can call out to the ring." Replied the spirit as he slid his finger across one of the tines that was connected to the ring. The tine was sitting parallel to the ground and pointing behind where Bakura now stood. He had pulled it out after feeling the sharp spikes shift beneath his clothes. It seemed the ring wanted to lead him somewhere. The white haired thief turned and followed the pointing piece of gold, retracing his steps until he was standing outside a shabby little pub. His eyes looked over the building as the ring's spike finally obeyed the laws of gravity and dangled lifelessly beside its four golden siblings.

/Strange… I don't remember seeing this here when we walked by./

"That's not saying much. You keep going into your soul room… Funny, when I lock you in your soul room you just complain, but now you go in there willingly." Bakura said as his eyes looked up at the sign hanging over the door. Leaky Cauldron was a pretty pathetic name for a pub. Then again, it suited the old run down place. What was more concerning was that he too did not remember passing this place when they walked by earlier.

/Yeah, willingly being the key word there Koe./

Bakura chuckled and tucked the millennium ring back to its place beneath his shirt. He reached for the handle of the door, but immediately stopped as his fingers touched the bronze. He frowned, staring at the door carefully.

/…what's wrong Koe? You're giving me a weird feeling./ Ryou shuddered as he felt the wave of suspicion traveling through his mental link with the spirit of the ring. Clearly the spirit was on edge about something.

"The shadows here are skewed." Bakura said quietly as he cast a furtive glance left and right. He locked eyes with a man watching him through the window of the pub. The man leaned over and whispered something to the person beside him, never breaking eye contact with the white haired boy. Bakura's eyes narrowed and he stepped back away from the door. As his glare darkened, the man finally looked away, shaking lightly as if he just felt a chill. Bakura turned away from the tavern and continued walking.

/You're not going in? That's good./ Ryou said quietly from within the thief's mind. Finally Bakura cracked a smile again.

"Now now Yadonushi, there may be no point in going in when people are watching, but I'm sure we can find time later to break in without drawing any attention" He said. He heard Ryou sigh in the back of his mind and his smirk grew.

0

"No, I'm not saying anything like that. Just because I was letting you have your fun doesn't mean I approved of it" Ryou said with a shake of his head as he walked down the road towards his house with a little backpack slipped over his shoulders. He was glad nobody was out this late. He had never stayed in London that long before and now that he was finally back in little Whinging, everyone was already in their homes for the night.

/Well, you can't deny you like the bag, can you Yadonushi? You've offered no complaints to using it./

"It's well made and it would be silly to just waste it… and I did need one for school… but I was going to buy one later." He replied. They couldn't just take whatever they wanted. Where would the order be if everyone did that?

/Cute, Yadonushi. You think there's order in the world./

Ryou didn't reply to the spirit. He reached his house and stopped when a slip of white reached his eyes. He cocked his head to the side as he stared down at the envelope lying in front of his door. It was Sunday wasn't it? The post office did not deliver on Sundays. He bent down and picked up the little scrap. Sure enough it was a letter with his name scrawled across the front. Suddenly a cree echoed above him and made him jump. His eyes dashed up to land on the snowy plumes of an owl. A smile broke across his face as he recognized the brilliant creature.

"Hedwig! What are you doing here?" He asked as he held out his arm. The bird flapped her wings and landed gently on his outstretched limb. She clicked her beak and tapped the letter.

"I see. This must be from Harry then huh?" Ryou asked the bird, who replied with a small hoot. Ryou smiled and opened the door to his house. He slipped in while balancing the owl on his arm. Once inside, Hedwig leapt off of Ryou and glided gently to the back of the couch. She looked over at Ryou, curiosity clear in those intelligent golden eyes. Ryou locked the door and placed the letter on the coffee table in front of the couch.

"Hold on for one minute. Harry said his school was far away, so I bet you're hungry." Ryou said as he rubbed the owl's head.

/She is a fierce winged predator. I'm sure she could catch her own food Yadonushi/

"Yeah, but sometimes it's nice to have a treat. Don't you think Koe?" Ryou asked as he walked into the kitchen. He smiled at the silence in his head. The spirit agreed with him, he could tell. Koe was just too proud to admit it.

Ryou returned to his living room with a small ball of ground beef in his hand. He offered it to the snowy owl and was delighted when she took it without hesitation. He sat down on the couch as Hedwig walked along the back of the sofa. She stopped when she was directly behind Ryou's head, peeking out behind his white mop of hair with her golden eyes. Ryou picked up the letter and slipped it open.

 

_Ryou,_

_First, I have to apologize about disappearing like that. It was kind of a sudden decision when I left two nights ago and I didn't have any time to tell you I was leaving. I tried sending a letter as soon as I arrived to let you know what was going on. I know how downright annoying it can be when you're left in the dark. Unfortunately I didn't get the chance to write and send Hedwig out until later. I made a promise to write to you, and you can count on me to see that promise through._

_Anyway, I told Hedwig to wait until you've given her a reply before she returns. The next letter I send will be longer, promise._

_-Harry Potter_

_PS: Wouldn't you know it, one of the first things they had me do when I arrived here was help clean up an old house. Good thing I had so much practice huh?_

_  
_

Ryou chuckled as he finished reading the letter. He felt a little better knowing what had happened. Harry really didn't just abandon him, not that he ever thought his latest friend would do such a thing. He glanced up at the snowy owl that was sitting behind him. She cooed and bobbed her head, almost as if she was gesturing to the letter in Ryou's hand. He smiled.

"You probably want to get back to Harry don't you?" He asked as he opened a small drawer in the coffee table. He place the letter on top of another note sent by his friends in Japan and pulled out a pen and a piece of stationary.


	9. Thieves Like Gold

Quietly, Harry sat nearby an open window. His snowy owl sat beside him, enjoying the gentle touch of her master's hand as he brushed his fingers along her wing. Harry's attention was on the envelope he now held in his hand. He repressed a small chuckle as he looked over the script that marked the letter's destination. Ryou had his own name and address scribbled in the corner while the center held Harry's name with St. Brutus's underneath. It even had a stamp in the corner. Truly the work of a muggle.

"Good work girl" Harry said to his owl as he gently scratched her head and watched her affectionately nibble on his finger.

"There you are! Blimey Harry, I've been lookin all over for you in this place." Chanted a familiar red head from the door. Ron came over and plopped himself down beside Harry and Hedwig.

"So whatcha hiding in here for? If you were going to duck out of cleaning duty, the least you could do is take your best friend with you" Ron said as he nudged Harry's shoulder. Harry gave his friend a smirk.

"Actually I came in here to see Hed— " Harry's sentence was cut short by a loud popping sound and sudden appearance of a set of twins.

"Harry!" the duo chirped in unison as they lifted their arms skyward.

"We knew we could find you!" They said, yet again in unison.

"Well, I did. Fred wasn't so sure" This time only the twin on the right spoke. Soon enough his mirrored sibling responded.

"Nonsense Fred! I knew exactly where Harry was. So." The twins turned their heads towards Harry with matching smirks.

" What have you got there?" Asked the other twin as both motioned to the envelope in Harry's hand.

"Oh sure, say hi to Harry but completely ignore your own brother?" Ron crossed his arms and cocked an eyebrow at the twins.

"Did you hear something, dear brother of mine?"

"No, I don't suppose I did."

"Tis a shame."

"Indeed."

Ron rolled his eyes and gave his attention back to Harry. His friend was doing a poor job of suppressing his smile at Ron's expense. Harry stood and slipped the piece of paper into his back pocket. The twins looked put out.

"Have you got secrets you don't want to share with us?" Fred suddenly asked, pretending to be truly hurt at the notion.

"George, what have we done to receive such scorn?" chimed in the second twin as he gripped a bit of shirt over his heart.

"It's just a letter. I hardly count it as a secret" Harry said as he waved the twins and their antics off. Ron stood up and walked beside Harry, giving him a curious look.

"Is it from that new muggle friend of yours?" He asked. Harry didn't even get a chance to reply.

"New— "

"—friend?"

With a pop, the twins vanished, only to reappear directly behind Harry. Harry spun around as he felt something slip out of his pocket.

"Oh my, dear me! I've found a letter!" Fred said as he gazed at the small piece of paper in mock surprise. His brother leaned on his shoulder and read the envelope.

"Oh, but who sent it? That's the question. If Harry's got a new friend, then we should be investigating" Both twins glanced at the elegant writing in the corner. It was a bit unusual to see the sender's name in the corner, but right now it was mighty convenient. The twins tipped their heads at the same time.

"Ree-O? Or is it – "

"Rah-yuu?"

One of the twins snapped his fingers and they looked at each other.

"I've got it. It's 'Are You'" they said together. Harry shook his head and made a futile grab for the letter. The twins easily held it out of reach.

"So who is this 'Are - you'" George inquired with a smile. Fred supplied his own answer.

"Oooh, what if it's 'that' kind of friend?"

"You don't mean our little Harry is growing up do you?"

"Harry! You should have told us you finally found a girl."

"Alright, you've had your fun. Now come on guys. Give me back my letter." Harry ordered. You could tell by his tone he was getting annoyed with the twins. He could only take so much at once.

"We're only kidding with you Harry" George said with a smile as he leaned his arm on his brother's shoulder.

"Here you go. One love letter from your muggle friend" chirped Fred as he handed back the envelope.

"It's not a love letter." Harry deadpanned as he took the letter. The twins only chuckled and exchanged a glance with each other.

"Whatever you say" They said in unison before disappearing yet again with a loud 'pop'.

Harry sighed as he put the letter away to read later. He couldn't help but smirk as Ron started to complain about Fred and George and how they had totally dismissed his presence.

"So, Ron. Why were you looking for me?" Harry asked, bringing the red head out of his little rant.

"Oh, right. Hermione found some books she thought might help you prepare for the… you know." Ron said, glancing away at the thought of the hearing that was fast approaching. Harry took a deep breath. He still couldn't believe he was being put on trial for defending himself.

"Alright. Let's go then." He said in resignation. He could tell by Ron's face he had been hoping Harry could come up with an excuse not to go. Studying from old, dusty, possibly spider-filled books was the last thing either of them wanted to do at the moment.

0

Ryou stretched and yawned as he hung up his jacket by the door. It had been a busy night at the diner and he was thoroughly prepared to collapse into bed and call it a night. He glanced at the clock. Perhaps it was a little too early for that just yet. He slipped his shoes off and headed to the kitchen. Had he been smart, he would have grabbed something from the diner, but he had forgotten about feeding himself during the dinner rush. Oh well. It wasn't like having to cook his own food was that big of a chore.

As he sliced some carrots for a stew, he thought about how quiet the town was lately. The spirit of the ring hadn't been very talkative, not that that was unusual. He hadn't taken control over his body in a while either. Not since they had gone to London. In fact, nothing particularly exciting had happened since Harry left. He had planned on telling his friend what was happening around town during his absence, but there really wasn't much to tell. Ryou was brought out of his thoughts by a tiny pain in his finger. Instantly he ran some water over the little bleeding cut.

"I guess I should pay more attention to what I'm slicing." He said to himself before turning off the water and slipping a band aid over the wound. As he inspected the injury, he felt something prick at his skin under his shirt. He knitted his brow before instantly pressing his hand to his chest, right over a certain golden Egyptian artifact. A smile slipped onto his face as he dropped his hand and glanced at the knife on the counter.

"Nothing exciting? I can make us the talk of the town" he purred to himself as he picked up the blade and inspected the bloodied edge. He wiped the blade on his pants and stashed the knife on his person as he turned for the door. His smile spread into a wicked grin.

0

Harry sat in one of the old wooden chairs, slouched over the table with his chin resting on one of the many books stacked for him to skim through. He had made it to about page 5 before deciding nothing he read would help him. He let out a breath and leaned backwards against the chair. Well, since there was nothing better to do, he slipped Ryou's letter out of his pocket and began reading what his muggle friend had to say.

Harry,

Thank you for writing. I'm glad to hear that everything is okay. I hope the envelope is alright. I wasn't sure if I needed to write a return address since Hedwig knows where we both are, but I wrote it anyway just in case. I only just realized now that I have no clue where your school actually is either so hopefully this will still reach you. This is the first time I've ever sent a message with a bird.

I still can't believe you had to leave for school so soon. I was under the impression that the school year in England normally started in September.

Stuck with cleaning duties on your first day? That's unlucky. Well, good luck with your studies.

~Ryou Bakura

Harry jerked his head up as the muffled bang of a stack of books landed beside him. He waved his hand back and forth in front of him to get rid of the resulting dust cloud.

"Did you find anything useful?" asked a frizzy haired brunette as she looked over at Harry. Her shoulders sagged as she realized what Harry was doing. Or more importantly, what he wasn't doing. Harry offered a sheepish smile and shrugged as Hermione sat down beside him.

"Hey, Harry. What's the square thing in the corner here?" Ron asked as he tapped the corner of the envelope that had held Ryou's note. Harry folded up the letter and chuckled.

"It's a stamp. You should know that one Ron. Your dad used them last year. A lot of them." Harry smiled as he recalled a certain piece of mail before his 4th year at school that had so many stamps on it that he couldn't see the actual envelope.

"What's the point of it?" Ron continued to ask as he picked up the envelope and inspected the stamp.

"It's how muggles pay for the transport of their mail, since they don't use owls. Maybe you should take a class in Muggle Studies." Hermione pitched in.

"No thank you." Ron instantly replied, putting his hands up to ward against the very idea. "So what did he say? You're friend?" He asked as he looked at Harry. Hermione gave Ron a look that he missed completely. She was just as curious about Harry's new pen pal, but Ron had no sense of subtlety. Luckily Harry was open to talk about his muggle friend. Actually, it was nice to have a topic to talk about that didn't require any secrecy.

"He wasn't sure how to go about sending mail via owl" Harry said with a smile. "I'll tell him he doesn't need a stamp or anything like that when I write him back"

"After we get to school….right? You couldn't possibly be thinking about sending another letter out from a secret headquarters." Hermione glanced at Harry nervously, but Harry didn't meet her gaze.

"What's the problem if he did?" Ron asked, genuinely confused. Harry smiled at his red haired friend and spared a glance in Hermione's direction.

"There is a certain dark wizard out there who is none too fond of Harry. What if Hedwig is tracked?" she said, her voice automatically falling to a whisper.

"Harry used to send Hedwig here all the time without any problems right? Besides, the place is hidden so it's not like a bit of mail is going to bring all the deatheaters to our doorstep." Ron shrugged. He honestly didn't see the danger here.

"It'll be fine Hermione." Harry looked at her with confidence.

0

The white haired boy stopped and blinked rapidly as he tried to get his bearings. He held his head in his hand and leaned against a wall to balance himself. Where was he? He couldn't remember what happened after he accidently cut his finger. He frowned as he realized he was now definitely outside his own house and it was some hours later. The night wind caused him to shiver and instantly he walked into his home.

Ryou stopped and looked at the door knob in confusion. It hadn't been locked. He always locked the door and he would be lying if he said finding it open didn't make him uncomfortable. He took a steady breath and stepped further inside. The house was just as it always was. Well… excluding the new addition of a pair of crisscrossing sabers sitting on the wall.

/heh. So easily frightened / chuckled the spirit of the ring. Ryou sighed as he closed the door and dropped his backpack on the couch with who knew what in it. He walked over to the glorified pieces of metal that now sat in his home.

"When did you get these?" He asked halfheartedly. He wasn't surprised when the spirit didn't respond either. He shook his head and returned to the door.

"Koe, I know your specialty is undoing locks, but I don't want the house to be broken into." He said as he clicked the lock in place.

/ As if a mere lock could stop a true thief./

"Well, it's better than an open invitation to my stuff." Ryou said flatly.

/Nonsense Yadonushi. The more locks on the treasure, the louder it calls to be claimed./

Ryou shook his head at the spirit's blissful tone. This was getting them nowhere.

"What happened to keeping a low profile?" He asked in a defeated voice. The spirit was smug in his reply.

/This town needed something to talk about. I've done the people here a favor./

Ryou dropped his head and sighed. Whenever the spirit suppressed his consciousness for any length of time, he felt a little sick. Whether that was from being locked in his soul room or from worry about what the spirit did during his lapse in memory, he couldn't say.

"Was this all you did tonight?" He asked, gesturing to the sabers and the bag that now sat innocently on the couch. He wasn't expecting a reply, but to his surprise he got one.

/Of course not. Do you honestly think it would take me that long to steal a few choice blades?/

Ryou tipped his head to the side. He glanced at the clock and noted it was indeed getting late. If the spirit hadn't been spending all that time stealing, then what had he been doing?

/That is none of your concern. Now Yadonushi, go to bed and sleep./

Ryou shivered as he felt the spirit's influence press against his mind. He gripped the leather cord around his neck and pulled the ring off. He let the item hang from his hand, glinting innocently in the light from the rising moon. Maybe he had grown too used to being awake when the spirit took control. He had grown too used to switching control with the spirit.

0

The spirit of the ring was resting calmly in his own soul room with just the red of his ancient style robe around to add some color to his internal darkness. He sat alongside one of the walls, eyes closed and head leaning against the hard surface. He let the shadows coat the floor, twisting and turning as they seeped from the wall across from him. Lazily his eyes drifted open a fraction and focused on the door on the wall to his right. The link he shared with the current owner of the millennium ring was weakened. His host must have taken off the ring for the night. That wasn't too surprising.

The thief grinned. Today had been an accomplishment. It had taken longer than he had wanted, but at last he had regained enough of his former power to force Ryou's mind into an involuntary slumber. Perhaps a little longer and he will be able to maintain his control for more than a few hours. He supposed that was one thing that was beneficial about having his host awake. It required less energy to just switch places than it did to switch AND keep his Yadonushi asleep. Energy had not been a problem for him before. It was all thanks to Battle City and that damn psychotic Egyptian. Not that it mattered… he was regaining his strength now, and his host had actually become more resilient to magic. In the end, he still managed to benefit from his banishment to the realm of shadows.

The thief let his eyes slip closed again. It was a relief to have his magic coming back to him. His host may have already pushed aside the strange attack of the wraith monster, but not the king of all thieves. He was still unsure of what exactly that thing was and how it had been able to enter his host's mind. Even with his skill with putting up mental barriers, it had been a challenge keeping the creature at bay. Perhaps it was the thought of encountering more than one of those things at once that had been giving him a strange feeling all day. His patrol around the neighborhood had turned up nothing remotely threatening. Not that it mattered. As long as Ryou had the ring, he would be able to deal with any enemy they came across.

His hand reached up to grip one of the tines hanging from the ring on his naked chest. He let the spike bite into his palm and draw blood. As he opened his hand, he glanced down and observed the glistening piece of gold with its fresh red coating. The ring was another mystery. He knew the location of all seven of the millennium items, and none of those locations were remotely close to London. If not the power of the items, then what exactly had the ring been guiding him to?

As he gazed at his hand, the blood and wound vanished. His palm was unscathed and the ring was just as polished and pristine as always. He balled his hand into a fist and grinned. England was proving to be much more interesting than he had expected.

0

Harry sighed as he stood in the elevator that was carrying him to a room full of wizards who were most likely going to expel him. The twelfth of August came much too fast for his liking. To make matters worse, his hearing had been moved ahead by an hour. Mr. Weasley's kind words were doing little to lighten the mood. Well, at least once the day was finally over, he'd be able to finish up his latest letter to Ryou and send it out. He had told Ryou he had already gotten in trouble in school and Ryou's reply message was filled with best wishes and support. If only pretty words could actually get him through this hearing…

"Ready Harry?" Mr. Weasley looked down at his young charge. Harry took a deep breath and nodded.

Time to face the ministry.

0

Ryou rolled over in his bed and glanced at the clock through his messy bangs. Yet again, he was incredibly happy he took off from work on Sundays. He yawned and slowly pulled himself out of bed to begin his Sunday routine. He hesitated once he saw the millennium ring, sitting so harmlessly on the bedside table. He stared at the piece of golden jewelry and clenched his teeth. The spirit had been planning something for today. Perhaps the best thing to do would be to leave the ring behind.

/Yadonushi, put on the ring./

The spirit's words still managed to reach him even without actually wearing the cursed artifact.

"You're going to hurt people today… aren't you Koe?" Ryou said calmly as he looked down at the ring. As long as he wasn't actually wearing it, the spirit could not do anything to him….right?

/Fine then. Leave the ring here so the next thief to enter this house can pick up a piece of pure gold that can bring them more than just death. / The spirit spoke dismissively. Ryou shivered at the thought. The ring was not a thing he could just leave lying around, this he knew. But that didn't mean he had to wear it. He picked up the leather cord and carried the pendant with him downstairs. He let it sit on the counter as he fixed himself some breakfast, and then finally brought his backpack over. He unzipped the bag and picked up the ring, gazing at the eye in the center. For a moment, he seemed as if he was in a trance, but he quickly shook his head and started putting the gold into the bag.

/Yadonushi, I'm not going to hurt anyone. Don't worry. I can't protect you unless you are wearing the ring though… put it on Yadonushi. Put it on and I promise I won't hurt the normal ones./

Ryou hesitated again. He stared at the ring, once again entranced by the golden shine and the sound of the voice trapped within. He blinked and shook his head.

"Promise you won't make me go to sleep. I want to have a full memory, so no locking me in my soul room." Ryou waited in silence after talking to the golden necklace sitting in his backpack. It was times like these when living alone was actually preferable.

The silence dragged on as the spirit weighed his options. Ryou sighed and was reaching for the zipper when the spirit finally spoke up.

/Fine. You have my word. I won't force you to sleep. Today./

Even with the spirit's reassurance, Ryou was unsure…. But one of the few things the spirit actually did was stick to his promises. At least, he had kept his word when he promised things to Ryou. Not that the spirit made many promises to his host.

Ryou pulled the ring out of the bag and pulled the leather strap over his head.

0

His usual Sunday routine went uninterrupted. The spirit hadn't said another word since his discussion with Ryou that morning. Ryou had walked to the flower shop, hailed his cab, and visited his family like he did every week. He was sitting in the cemetery now, all his worries momentarily forgotten as he took the time to keep his lost ones close to him. Keeping his living family close to him was proving far more difficult. At least he knew his mom and sister were always there. They didn't spend all their time away from home. They stayed with Ryou. He made sure to keep them close to his heart.

As late afternoon began to creep up on him, Ryou walked back to the road. He stood with his arm out and relaxed as a cab pulled up beside him. As he slipped inside, preparing to go back to his home in Little Whinging, he wondered if he had been mistaken. The spirit really hadn't been planning anything. The spirit chuckled in the back of his mind. Of course. He should have known better.

"Hello? Kid? Where to?" The cab driver said, glancing at his oddly quiet passenger with a look of annoyance. The kid blinked up at him as a smile fell on his face. His narrowed eyes removed any trace of innocence that smile should have implied.

"Have you heard of a place called the Leaky Cauldron?" The boy asked. The driver gave him a confused look. Immediately the white haired boy's smile dropped. The man produced a brick shaped handheld device, which earned a cock of the head from the boy in the back seat. He didn't recognize it. The man was hitting buttons on it before holding it up to his ear and asking about the pub the boy had requested. Confusion covered his face at the reply the man received, and he looked at his passenger.

"Sorry kid, but I don't think this Leaky Cauldron place exists"

The boy stared at him a moment before kicking open the door and getting out. The taxi driver was not pleased with his behavior, but the white haired teenager ignored all the yelling as he walked down the street.

"Like a stupid little black box holds all the answers" grumbled the spirit of the ring as he marched on. He really didn't feel like walking all the way there. Even more annoying was the chuckling in the back of his head.

"What, Yadonushi, is so funny?" He barked in irritation. Ryou was just glad the irritation wasn't really aimed at him in particular.

/Koe, that 'black box' the man had was a mobile phone. He was probably asking for directions to the pub./

The spirit paused a moment and shrugged. He hadn't realized phones came in such portable sizes. Not that it mattered. The mortal was still stupid and useless in the spirit's eyes. He shoved his hands in his pockets and continued walking. The walk was peacefully quiet and uneventful. The spirit didn't stop again until he was close to the general area they had found the pub in before. But where was it? He clenched his jaw and looked around. This was Charing Cross Road. It had to be here somewhere. Finally the spirit just tucked himself against the wall of one of the shops and pulled the millennium ring from under his shirt. It was pointing again. He glanced down the street in the direction the ring demanded. Soon, the ring disappeared under his shirt and he headed further down the block. He was growing more annoyed by the second until he once again stopped to consult his ring for directions. This time, he leaned against a rather run down, falling apart little shop. His back barely touch the wall of the building when a shiver shot down his spine.

/Koe…what was that?/

Ah. So his little landlord decided to finally speak again did he? The spirit didn't bother replying. Instead he backed away from the building and glanced at it. The Leaky Cauldron. How did he miss it? Casually, he gripped the handle and entered. The first thing he did upon entry was look around.

And people called him and his host weird.

He barely stopped for a second before continuing further into the little pub and sitting himself down at one of the corner tables. A quick scan over the place instantly aroused suspicion in the thief. The menu was unusual…. What the hell was a sickle? Perhaps 'galleon' wasn't a misspelling of gallon either. He decided the table in the corner wasn't going to get him information, so the thief silently moved over to an inconspicuous place beside the bar. His eyes watched every little transfer of money and listened to every word said. The most common transfer was the silver coins. Sickles, as they kept calling them. Bronze coins were given in return. Most likely that was their change. Bakura managed to observe a good amount of time completely unnoticed. Sadly, even with his skill at being a living shadow, he just wasn't that easy to overlook.

"Hey kid… this ain't a place to loiter. What's your purpose?" asked the bartender. He took the tip jar, which looked like it was full of bronze and silver coins, and moved it further from the thief. Bakura smirked and laughed to himself at the gesture.

"Just waiting for someone." He shrugged and offered the bartender a winning smile. It was enough to pacify the man for now, and Bakura returned to observing in silence.

/I've never seen money like that before. Do you know anything about it?/

Ra damned host.

'There are three types of coins. The silver are sickles, and judging how people are paying, the gold are called galleons and the bronze coins suck. Now hush Yadonushi.' The spirit returned to his quiet observing, taking in every sound and expression, making note of ––

/Why are they using such strange currency? How do you know what they're called?/

Bakura groaned, earning him a few curious gazes that didn't last very long. He did not reply to his host this time, which annoyed Ryou quite a bit. Bakura smirked.

"Kid, do you have any clue when your friend is supposed to meet you here?"

Bakura turned his gaze to the bartender and looked him over carefully. His eyes flashed over to the steps beside the little sign that read 'rooms'. Time to gamble.

"No. He said he may be late. Do you mind if I rent a room for the night?" He asked with a grin.

/What are you doing Koe? We can't stay here! We have to get back home and this place doesn't look very friendly./

Yet again, the peanut gallery was ignored.

"Sure kid. Seven galleons." The bartender said calmly, eyeing the thief carefully. Bakura continued to smile as he walked closer to the bar and casually sat between two other patrons. He produced the golden coins easily and suddenly the bartender seemed much more calm and easy going with the white haired boy.

/Koe, where…? When…? …. Nevermind. Remember though… you promised not to hurt anyone./

"Correction, I said I wouldn't hurt the normal people." The spirit mumbled quietly to himself with his hand leaning casually against his face, conveniently covering his mouth.

/Fine, same thing. Don't hurt anyone normal then/

The spirit smirked again. "Define 'normal'" He chuckled. This time his neighbor gave the boy an odd look, which Bakura met with a dark glare.

"What?" He challenged, never dropping his gaze from the man. The man's eye twitched in annoyance.

"Watch your tone, whelp. You should learn to treat your superiors with respect" The man shot back as he leaned closer to the child. Bakura grinned, letting his canines flash in a most menacing fashion. He leaned in closer to the man too.

"No worries old man. If I ever find someone superior to me, then I will." He replied smoothly. The two stared each other down a moment longer before the other man finally shook his head and stood up. Bakura mimicked the motion, though the two parted ways, with Bakura heading for the stairs and the man preparing to pay and leave.

He was already opening the door to his room when the man realized his pockets were empty.

0

Bakura yawned as he glanced at his bounty spread across the scrappy little bed of his room. He managed to glean some more information from that stranger's possessions. For one thing, it appeared that those three coins were it for currency. Nothing else could really qualify. Then again, he had no idea what type of currency the coins were anyway, so who really knew what other monetary values would look like anyway? He picked up one of the large golden pieces and smiled as he inspected it. These were definitely his favorite of the three types. The quality wasn't that bad either. He pushed the stolen coins into his pocket and glanced at the other items. Paper scraps instantly found their way to the trash bin.

/That's strange. Money I can understand, but why carry a stick in your pocket?/

For once, the spirit had to agree with his host. He picked up the smooth, slender piece of wood and inspected it carefully. It really did just look like a fancy well polished stick. His head jerked up at the sound of the doorknob rattling. A muffled shout could be heard behind said door, and suddenly it flew open. Two men stood at the door. One was glaring at the young thief and Bakura couldn't help but smile back at him.

"You. Give me my things. Now." The man growled. Bakura glanced at the other and quirked an eyebrow as he realized the other man had a stick too. He was pointing it at him as if it was going to shoot laser beams from its tip. How ridiculous.

"You mean this little thing here? It's all yours" Bakura said with a wonderful little smile. It threw the two men off guard and the one who had escorted Bakura's latest victim glanced at his friend. The other man simply snatched the stick and pointed it at the kid as well.

"The money too, brat." He barked. Bakura tipped his head and looked horribly confused.

"Money? But…I found that on the floor" He said, gesturing to the stick. "I have no idea what you mean about money. Did someone rob you?" His impression was golden. He could have tricked the Pharaoh with his innocence act. Hell, he'd successfully done so in the past.

"He doesn't look like a thief" The escort mumbled, looking at the other man with doubting eyes.

"He's lying! Obviously! He had my wand!"

/wand? Is this some kind of occult pub? That's so cool/

Bakura's eye twitched, but he had no time to talk to his host.

"I don't have much money myself… but if you need it, I can let you borrow some" the white haired child offered as he produced a small pouch carefully filled with just the bronze and silver pieces. He offered it with a helpful face.

"What kind of thief would just give you your stuff back like that? That's the last time I listen to you. Geez, just leave the poor kid alone." The escort rolled his eyes with a huff and marched away. The other man continued to glare at Bakura, snatching the little bag and holding the stupid twig close to him.

"You may have tricked my friend there, but I'm not about to let you get away without punishment" The man hissed. Bakura smiled as his hand slipped into his back pocket. He frowned as he felt his arm go rigid.

/No! You said you wouldn't hurt people. I'm not going to let you hurt an innocent man/

"Pff, he's hardly innocent Yadonushi. He's the one threatening us" Bakura growled, ignoring the incredulous stare of the other man. He focused more on forcing his fingers to wrap around a leather covered handle.

/Stop it! You can't—/

"Yadonushi. It's 12:30. Your promised day has been over for a half hour. Now…sleep" He said darkly.

"You're mental." The man said as he raised the wand and began moving it. He barely uttered a single syllable before the thief lunged at him with something metal shining in his hand.


	10. Ring Bearer

A gentle groan escaped the young boy's lips as he slowly came back to the world of the aware. His large brown eyes blinked as they adjusted to the afternoon light filtering in through the shabby curtains over the window. Ryou yawned and gently rolled onto his side. He was in bed as usual, and obviously he changed his sheets since they weren't this color yesterday. He rubbed his eyes with his hand and gently rested his palm on the blanket. Then he remembered what happened. His body jerked up and let the blanket fall away from him. Once again, he woke up in his street clothes, sneakers included, with a familiar gold ring sitting calmly on his chest. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and fell forward in a tangle of blanket. Luckily he caught his balance before colliding with the wall.

Ryou took a breath and carefully walked around the room looking for any signs of … well, actually he wasn't sure what to look for. If the spirit had attacked that man, there were plenty of ways to get rid of the evidence without leaving a trace. His anxiety spiked when he finally saw something on the ground. Carefully he bent down and inspected the dark spots on the rug. He prodded the red tinted circles until fear gripped him. Blood. It was blood.

He jumped to his feet and thudded against the door in his haste to get away from the scene of the crime. His shaking hand found the doorknob and he stumbled out into the hallway. He kept his legs moving and flew down the stairs, turning the corner into the pub and crashing into something. Instantly he tried to push away, but strong, gentle hands held him steady.

"Whoa whoa whoa. Calm down sport." The voice came from whatever Ryou had crashed into. His brown eyes looked up at the red haired man and the instant the stranger saw the boy's pale, panicked face, the man bent down and tried to soothe him.

"It's alright. What's wrong?" The man asked. Ryou took a deep breath and wiped his face free of sweat.

"N-nothing" He mumbled. He didn't bother trying to pull away from the man's grip. That would only make it harder to get out of here before they discovered what he had done.

"Hey kid, if you're worried about that man, don't be. We sent him out of here last night." The bartender called out to the red haired adult and the little whitenette. Ryou's eyes instantly darted over to the bartender in confusion. Luckily the man in front of him didn't notice his baffled expression, as his eyes looked over at the bartender as well.

"Man? What man? What happened?" He asked curiously. The bartender apparently had no qualms with giving out a few of the details. He didn't even hesitate to answer what could have been a personal question.

"Nothing big. Just some loon went after that kid there. That boy came down here in a panic saying something about a crazy man in his room. Kid said the man was being all kinds of inappropriate and violent, and the guy did seem to be a little off. We got rid of the pest before anything serious happened, so it's fine."

At this point, the red haired man returned his attention to the boy before him. The child was staring at the ground.

"That must have been a scary ordeal for you" He said comfortingly, but Ryou didn't really hear him. He was too busy trying to figure out what the spirit had done. Did he kill the man? Obviously not. Otherwise these people would have said something about it. Then what happened?

"I've got to get going" He mumbled before ducking under the man's arm and quickly walking out the door. He just wanted to get home.

Nobody stopped the white haired teenager as he left and he didn't bother looking back. The instant he was away from the strange pub, he hailed a cab and headed back to Harthrow House. The ride was eerily silent. It was made worse when the tire went flat. The driver assured Ryou he could get another cab there as soon as possible, but Ryou declined and just paid the man what he was due. He was close enough to walk the rest of the distance. He barely made it down the block before his thoughts were interrupted by a voice.

"Ryou Bakura!"

Ryou's head snapped up and sideways. Oh great. Dudley and one of his huge friends. Ryou watched as Harry's cousin said something to his friend and waved goodbye. Then he was heading over to him.

"Hey Ryou. Haven't seen you in awhile. Thought you flew the coop or something." Dudley instantly tried to engage in short conversation once he was close enough. Ryou merely shrugged.

"I've been around." His answers were always short. Polite, but definitely short. Dudley made him uncomfortable. Sometimes he was a decent enough person, and then other times he was just a total jerk. It usually depended on who was around.

"Uh-huh. Well, look Ryou. My folks are having a barbeque this Saturday. You're invited to come. My dad insists." Dudley said as he quickened his pace to catch up to the other boy. Ryou had started walking again.

"No thank you" Ryou said instantly in his ever respectful tone.

"Bet you'd come if Harry was gonna be there, wouldn't you?" Ryou would have expected these words to be bitter, but surprisingly it seemed as if Dudley was simply stating a fact. Ryou glanced at the bigger boy, trying not to betray his curiosity. Dudley caught the glance and a smug half smile flickered onto his face.

"So. You been hiding out in your house because of the string of thefts in the area?" Dudley asked as he faced forward again. He could see Ryou's house in the distance. Might as well try one last time to start a conversation.

"I don't have anything worth stealing" that he doesn't already have. Ryou's face betrayed no emotion as he locked his eyes onto his house.

Dudley actually started to laugh. Ryou frowned but didn't let himself glance at the portly teenager this time.

"You're famous right? Anything you own is valuable to someone. I'd think your place is a prime target. They probably just don't know you're in town or that you're famous. You don't look it." Dudley had a full smile on this time as he glanced at Ryou. The other teen was still staring forward with a blank expression.

"So tell me what you think. About the robberies. It's not really something you see in this town." Dudley pretty much demanded Ryou's opinion. Probably to make sure it coincided with his own.

"Whoever's doing it is a horrible person." Ryou said simply. A deep chuckle echoed in the back of his mind, but he kept his outer mask forcibly calm.

"You think it's just one guy? No way. It's got to be a group or something. There is no way one guy can bust into that many places in one night." Dudley decided.

"It's not that unthinkable. It's not like the thief took a lot from each place right? Just one or two things before he moved on. If he knew what he was looking for, he could be in and out in minutes. It's pretty obvious this thief has years of experience. He probably breaks into a bunch of places in one night just for the challenge. It's like he has a disease really. He can't seem to stop taking what doesn't belong to him. Money, possessions, time…" Ryou explained. It was silent for a moment which caused Ryou to glance to his side. Dudley was watching him.

"What?"

"Nothing. Just glad to see you can actually have a conversation without Potter to hold your hand" Dudley said, only to receive an irritated glance from Ryou. The white haired teenager sped up and turned down the path to his front door without saying a word. He only managed to get a few steps closer towards his house when he heard Dudley yell 'wait' and felt a large, heavy hand grab his wrist, stopping him in his tracks. No matter how much he tried to pull his skinny wrist free, Dudley's grip remained firm. The larger boy didn't seem to be having any trouble keeping Ryou in place.

"Look, I didn't mean it like, a bad thing or something. I mean, it is, but … Ryou, what I'm saying is, Harry's not here anymore, so if you ever want to talk to real people or something. You know. You'll go mad if you stay in your house alone all the time."

Ryou finally stopped any resistant he had been offering and went still. As he stared at the ground, the pressure on his wrist disappeared. Ryou turned and faced Dudley with guarded eyes. Dudley looked as sincere as he could look, but Ryou knew that appearances could be deceiving. He knew that very well.

"Just come to the barbeque. A whole bunch of people are gonna be there." Dudley said one last time as he stared at Ryou. Ryou stared back evenly until finally breaking the gaze and looking to the side.

"I'll think about it."

Dudley was instantly wearing his usual pompous grin, as if he had just accomplished something of great difficulty and he thought he was the greatest thing in the world to be able to successfully pull it off. He finally turned to leave and Ryou looked back towards his house. Dudley left without another word and Ryou finally made it to his door. It was only then that he noticed something white sitting on the overhang above his front door. As he stepped closer, it moved, pulling a fluffy white head out from under its wing.

"Hedwig!" Ryou greeted the bird as she shook out her feathers and jumped down to land on Ryou's white nest of hair.

"How long have you been here?" Ryou asked with a light giggle in his voice as he opened his door. The owl stayed quiet due to the parcel in her beak. As the door opened, she spread her wings once more and glided to her favored place on the back of Ryou's sofa. Finally, she let the letter fall onto the seat, looked at Ryou, and let out a soft 'cree'.

0

It had been a full week since his named was cleared of all charges. Harry and his friends were finally letting the excitement of his lack of expulsion taper off. Right now, the young bespectacled teenager was mainly preoccupied with the owl fast approaching his godfather's secret hideaway.

"What are you waiting around here for, Potter? I'm sure there are more productive things you could be doing."

The sound of a voice made Harry spin around in his seat beside the window and lock eyes with a powerful wizard. Harry was just about to respond when a certain white owl landed on the window ledge with a letter in her beak. The adult wizard's left eye spun in its socket, tracking the parcel of paper even as Harry grabbed it and roughly jammed it in his back pocket.

"Hand it over" said the man as he limped closer with the help of his sturdy wooden cane. Harry knew there was no point in trying to hide the letter. Mad-Eye Moody's magical eye would track it no matter where he tried to stash it.

"It's just a letter, sir. Personal mail. I don't really think you have the right to read my mail." Harry said evenly as he stared Mad-Eye down. The older wizard merely pulled out his wand, and with a simple flick, the letter came rushing to his hands. Harry's vain attempt to catch the letter went unnoticed by the auror. He inspected the envelope with his wand under the harsh glare of the young wizard before slipping the envelope open and pulling out the paper within.

"Bakura? Who is this wizard? What have you been telling him? How does he know you?" Mad-Eye demanded as his one eye skimmed the smooth handwriting of Harry's friend while his magical eye locked onto Harry and awaited an answer.

"Ryou is a muggle friend from my home town. I didn't tell him anything about us." Harry replied rather icily as he walked over and grabbed the letter. Mad-eye kept his grip on the note, watching both it and Harry carefully before finally releasing it and allowing the teenager to read his own mail.

"Do not get too comfortable around this Bakura person. You can't trust anyone in these dark times. Constant Vigilance, Potter." Mad-eye warned before he turned and hobbled out the door, heading towards the meeting the order was about to get under way. Harry watched him leave in silence. First off, Bakura was a muggle so he really had nothing to fear from him. Second, Harry was still annoyed he wasn't allowed to sit in on the secret meetings. The Order of the Phoenix was trying to stop Voldemort and apparently keep him protected, so why couldn't he hear what they were saying about him? It was utterly ridiculous.

Harry shrugged off the confrontation with the famous dark wizard catcher and headed up to the privacy of his room. As he opened the door and saw the two people inside, he remembered his room was a shared room and nothing was private in his life anymore. At least with Ron and Hermione he wouldn't have to defend his choice of friends.

"Hey Harry. Ryou wrote you back? Bout time." Ron chanted with an amused smirk. Hermione was doing her best to appear supportive, but her worry about the whole sending letters thing was still easy to spot on her face. She was like that every time Harry sent and received a letter. Her anxiety didn't usually last though. She and Ron had already learned a little about Harry's mysterious muggle friend and were genuine when they asked how he was doing. When they weren't cleaning, sharing stories about their summers was how they passed the time and in numerous cases, Harry's stories involved Ryou. As their curiosity and interest grew, Harry had started sharing pieces of his letters with them.

"I only sent out Hedwig a week ago" Harry reminded his red haired friend as he walked over to his bed and sat down. He started reading the letter even as Ron drawled on about how a week was a long time and how Hedwig was a fast flyer that could easily make the flight in a day if she wanted. Little Whinging wasn't that far away. Harry tuned him out for a moment and left discussing the concept of resting and the time needed to write a reply in Hermione's hands. He didn't really appreciate her mentioning how if he HAD to write to Ryou, he should be doing it less frequently anyway. However he decided not to do anything above an annoyed glance in her direction in favor of reading the letter.

"Huh…that's weird" Harry murmured aloud as he read. Instantly four eyes were trained on him.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Hermione instantly inquired, bringing Harry out of his thoughts.

"Oh, nothing really. Just that Ryou said he was surprised when he saw Hedwig sleeping at his house. He spent his Sunday in London and didn't get home until late on Monday, so he thinks Hedwig spent all night outside waiting for him." Harry admitted.

"If Ryou was in London, why didn't Hedwig just take the letter there?" Hermione asked, but that was what Harry couldn't answer. Hedwig was a smart girl. Maybe she just knew better than to deliver mail to a muggle in a place with so many non-magical people. That was probably it.

"More importantly, what was he doing in London that could take all night?" Ron jumped into the conversation with a suggestive grin on his face.

"Ron! Ryou's not like that. Is he?" Hermione had begun, surprised at what Ron could have been implying, only to turn to Harry for confirmation on the subject. Harry laughed.

"No. He's not." He said with a chuckle. Hermione seemed relieved and Ron looked disappointed. The trio sat in silence for awhile as Harry continued reading.

"So? How is he?" Hermione asked, putting on a smile as she looked at her black haired friend.

"He says he's doing fine. Apparently there's been a lot of theft in the area, so he's been staying home a lot." Harry remembered the thieving had started earlier on in the summer, but it had stopped as suddenly as it had started. Well, at least it was a normal non-magical crime spree. That put Little Whinging in considerably less danger. Harry glanced up at his friends. Hermione seemed more concerned about Ryou's safety than Ron, who thought it was just rotten luck that a thief had appeared near Harry's hometown. Harry returned his attention to the letter. Ryou gave his congratulations to Harry for clearing his name. Harry had told Ryou about his hearing, though his retelling of the event contained very few key details. Ryou knew he was in trouble but innocent, and that he was cleared of the charges. That was all he would ever need to know.

"Oh, hey. Ryou says he'd love to meet you guys." Harry said as he glanced at Ron and Hermione. They smiled in return.

"And we'd love to meet him too." Hermione knew meeting Ryou was highly unlikely. Ron especially wouldn't ever meet him. Magic and muggles tried their best not to cross paths.

"We should, too. Meet him and all. Is he coming to Hogwarts?" Ron asked, earning a sigh from Hermione.

"Ron, he's a muggle, remember?" Hermione reminded.

"Oh. Right. Bugger." Ron shrugged. He kept forgetting Ryou was not-magical. That really had to be horrible. Life without magic wasn't very appealing to the red head.

"Well, who knows? Maybe after we graduate and all, we can go visit him in Japan or something." Harry offered, though he really didn't see it happening. Not to mention Ron would probably blow their secret about magic. The Weasleys weren't exactly experts on muggle behavior.

Harry was nearing the end of his letter, reading the last bits about how one of Ryou's friends could probably give Ron an excellent challenge in chess. When it came to Hermione, Ryou was confused. St. Brutus's was supposed to be an all boys school. Harry folded up the letter and instantly walked over to a desk to write a reply. He hated to lie to Ryou, but he doubted just ignoring that question would make it disappear.

"Harry, you seriously aren't even going to wait a few days? Give Hedwig a chance to rest? School starts in less than two weeks. That's really not too long to wait you know." Hermione pleaded, but Harry just sighed and dipped his quill in a bottle of ink.

"Fine. I'll send the letter out tomorrow. So Hedwig can rest up." He finally replied. Hermione didn't argue. She didn't get the chance to since just as she opened her mouth to say something, a scruffy looking man entered the room. Harry instantly dropped his quill and smiled.

"Sirius" He greeted as he stood. His godfather smiled back at him.

"Harry. Alastor told the Order you've been receiving threatening letters from a stranger." Sirius got straight to the point as he and the son of his best friend sat down on the side of one of the beds in the room. Harry rolled his eyes at his godfather's remark. Hermione and Ron leaned against the wall, giving the two their space. Hermione was overjoyed someone was finally going to talk to Harry about his irresponsible sending of letters.

"They're not threatening and they're not from a stranger. I've been writing to a friend from back home. A non-magical friend, and yes I'm being careful with what I say. It's no big deal." Harry defended himself for the umpteenth time this month. Did people really not trust his judgment this much?

Sirius gently grabbed Harry's shoulders and faced him with a serious look on his face.

"You trust this friend?" He asked with a grave tone. Harry looked back evenly, never even blinking when he gave a resounding 'yes'. Sirius watched him for a moment longer before a grin spread across his face.

"Good. So make sure you say in your next letter that your favorite godfather says hello!" Sirius said as he patted Harry on the back. Hermione stared.

"You aren't going to tell him to stop sending so many letters? Even though this is your hiding place and he's sending them from here?" Hermione asked, flabbergasted. Sirius glanced at the frizzy haired brunette and gave nothing but a simple shrug.

"He's fine. Harry said his friend is trustworthy, and this place isn't going to be found out by a few trips from an owl. Alastor is just being paranoid." Sirius seemed completely unruffled by the circumstances and soon returned his attention to Harry. Hermione frowned and lost herself in her thoughts. Maybe she was just over thinking things.

0

A ghostly pale teenager stared at his reflection as he brushed out his long hair. He laid the brush down and sighed. The week had been uneventful. He had made sure of it. He glanced at the corner of the mirror, staring at the reflected image of gold. Slowly, he turned to face the real thing. The ring sat in its usual place by his bed. It had been sitting there for the past few days, untouched by its white haired owner.

Ryou walked over to his bed and sat on the edge. He hadn't left the house since his return from London. He didn't want to leave the ring unguarded in an empty house, but he didn't want to take it either. Hesitantly, he reached out a hand to touch the familiar piece of gold, but before his fingertips could brush the cool metal he retracted his hand and let out another sigh.

"You broke your promise. You hurt that man bad, didn't you?" He said quietly to the dead air in the room. He let his hands rest on his lap and traced the lines of his palms with his eyes. Silence reigned in the room. As it should, in a house where only one person lived.

/I did not break any promises, Yadonushi./

Ryou blinked, letting his eyes stray from his hands and land on the glitter of gold.

/Were you not awake for the entirety of the day, as promised?/

Ryou looked away from the ring. Technically, that was true. But that was only half of the spirit's promise. The blood on the rug was evidence that something happened after he blacked out.

/I did not hurt any 'normal' humans either, Yadonushi./

"You're lying, Koe. If that was true, how do you explain the blood? What happened to that man?" Ryou turned to the ring, leaning a hand on the bed side table beside the cursed item.

/So we may have played for a while. Trust me Yadonushi, I did not kill him after I finished with my fun. Besides, he wished us harm. I was protecting you./ The tone of the voice was almost soothing. As if the spirit of the ring was trying to comfort Ryou.

"You said you wouldn't hurt anyone." Ryou said harshly as he stared at the golden pendant, now with both hands gripping the table. He didn't even know what really happened, yet the guilt still weighed heavily on his chest.

/Wrong, Yadonushi. I said I would not hurt the normal mortals. He was not normal, foolish boy. Your naivety is as blinding as the stubbornness of that ignorant dragon loving Kaiba. How often does magic have to dance in your face before you can acknowledge it? I did not break my promise./

Ryou flinched at the angry tone. It took him a moment to really wrap his thoughts around what the spirit had said.

"Magic? Koe, they were just role playing weren't they? That man…couldn't control the shadows, could he?" Any previous irritation or fear he held for the spirit was quickly being replaced with confusion and curiosity.

/Of course not, but they were not playing pretend, Yadonushi. Why else would the ring guide us to that musty place? But as long as you wear the ring they cannot beat you, cannot beat us, with their inferior magic. / Again the voice was soothing. The spirit was trying to get Ryou to wear the ring. Ryou refused to leave the ring in the house alone for someone to find, but he wasn't going to take the spirit's bait this time.

"I'm not afraid of magic. If what you say is true, then I bet that man was a good magician. He won't hurt me." Ryou said, more to himself as he picked up the leather strap of the ring and headed downstairs. He grabbed his backpack and placed the ring inside. He had a barbeque to get to.

/….Yadonushi….it will be safer if you put on the ring. Those boys tubby keeps in his company...well, let's just say I know thieves when I see them./

Ryou stared at the gold necklace as his hand sat idly on the zipper of the bag. Well, the spirit hadn't actually killed anyone last time and, thanks to a few loopholes, technically Koe did keep his promises. For a moment, his hand just barely touched the leather strap only to return to his side empty handed. Ryou shook his head, zippered the bag closed, and headed out the door.

0

The Dursleys were pleasantly surprised to see Ryou show up to their neighborhood barbeque. Dudley had told his father Ryou might be coming, but the white haired boy's detachment from the Dursleys now that Harry was gone had led Vernon to believe the boy was just being polite and had no intentions of really coming. He smiled when his thoughts were proven wrong.

Ryou was well received by the Dursleys' guests. Dudley had told him the barbeque was going to have a lot of people, but Ryou hadn't realized just how big of an affair it was going to be. Most of the people found the boy charming despite his shyness. There was, of course, a group that didn't see a young little prince. They saw a mouse that had been hiding out in his hole for the past few weeks. They grinned at each other as they watched their 'dear friend' Ryou.

0

Ryou smiled as he talked with one of the people from Privet Drive. Mrs. Figg was her name, if he recalled. She was a very kind woman and Ryou was delighted he had actually decided to come out today. He had been nervous at first. Big get togethers like these had never really been his scene, but he would be lying if he said he wasn't having a good time. It was nice to get out and have a civilized conversation with others rather than trying to convince the demented mind of a 3000 year old Egyptian spirit to engage in some light hearted small talk.

The teenager dipped his head in a polite bow as he excused himself from a small group that had been talking about the latest advancements in modern technology. They had been curious about the holographic projectors that had become so popular with 'Mister Bakura's card game'. Ryou had no qualms with discussing the latest Kaiba Corp projectors, but his stomach was demanding another piece of grilled chicken. He was walking along the side of the house towards the backyard when two boys stepped out in front of him.

"Hey princess" one of them said mockingly as he crossed his arms and smiled at the smaller boy. Ryou's own smile vanished, replaced by a small frown. There was no point in getting into a confrontation. Instead he turned and started heading back towards the front of the house, only to be jerked backwards by his backpack. He let out a small, startled yelp as he fell backwards and landed on the ground. The second of the two boys instantly got in front of Ryou, grabbed his shirt, and hoisted him off the ground.

"Aww, we just wanted to say hi." He laughed at Ryou's pitiable attempts to get the larger muscular teen to release him.

"Hey princess, all we want is a little 'hello'. Weren't you taught to bark?"

"….hello"

The boy let out a series of sharp laughs before letting Ryou fall to the ground. The second boy joined in his companion's amusement and bent down to study their submissive target.

"You know, the entire time you've been here, I don't think I've seen you put that bag of yours down once. So. Whatcha hiding in there, princess?" He asked as he made a grab for the bag. Ryou moved away from him, but that only seemed to fuel the two boys. One grabbed Ryou by the hair while the other ripped the bag away from him.

"Ah, that's why his hair is so long. It makes a decent leash" chanted the boy as he pulled Ryou's hair back. Ryou's head jerked backwards with it. The other boy let out a soft whistle as he opened the backpack.

"My my. This ain't a bad piece of jewelry, princess. Tell me. Is it real gold?" he asked as he pulled Ryou's millennium ring out by the leather strap. He dangled it in front of Ryou's face, letting the sun glint off of the ring's shiny surface. All three boys stared at the ring – two with eyes filled with awe….one with fear.

"Answer me. Is. This. Real?" The boy repeated his question, this time throwing Ryou against the brick wall of the house. Ryou broke his gaze away from the ring and locked it on the two boys. What could he do? They didn't realize what they were dangling so carelessly in their hands.

"Fine. Don't answer. Don't matter … somebody will pay a pretty price for it. And if it really isn't worth anything, well… then I guess you'll have to bring us something that IS." The boy said as he leaned in close and grabbed Ryou's shirt. The second boy took the ring, admiring the sharp tines. Slowly, he started to pull the cord over his head.

"NO!" Ryou yelled as he pushed the first boy away with all his strength and dove towards the second. He landed on top of the other teenager, gripping the golden ring in his hands and pulling it away, keeping it pressed against his chest. The first boy cursed and sent a fist in Ryou's direction. Ryou felt himself hit the ground for the third time that day and pain bit at his cheek. Luckily, the ring was still in his hands. He groaned as he tried to push himself up.

/Ask, Yadonushi. Ask for my help. I warned you it was unsafe to keep the ring in a bag. I can help you, Yadonushi/

Ryou's eyes widened as he sat up and stared at the ring in his hands. He barely said the word 'Koe' before a hand was pulling him up by his hair. He looked up at his attackers. One held him still while the other prepared another punch. Ryou clung to the ring and braced himself for impact. He did not want the spirit's kind of help. He did not want these boys to go through the spirit's games. He would take a beating if it meant protecting them.

Just as the punch was about to collide with his face for a second time, Ryou's hand shot up and caught the bully's wrist. He looked the kid in the eye and grinned. It was an unnerving feature on the usually timid boy's face. It became even more unsettling when said boy let out a deep, disturbing chuckle.

"What's so funny? Think just 'cause you can catch a punch means you're big and bad?" the boy hissed. The white haired boy's response was a quick twist of his enemy's wrist, earning him a delicious cry of pain from the teen, and a swift kick to the boy's gut strong enough to knock the bully back a step.

"No, not at all. What's funny is you little buffoons honestly believe you're tough. It's a shame. Usually those who are lacking in the brain department make up for it with brawn. You two have neither." said the white haired boy in a rather playful voice. The boy's eye twitched before he sent another fist flying towards Ryou. The whitenette grinned and pulled his second tormentor's face into the line of fire while keeping the ring firmly grasped in his hand. One of the two oafs crumpled and held his nose while the second shook his hand. Ryou Bakura stood idly by, admiring his millennium ring. He caressed the gold almost lovingly before tugging the strap over his head.

"Now then…what should your punishment be? I can't have you harassing my poor little Yadonushi" He purred as he turned his creepy smile towards the boys yet again.

"You really think you can take us? So far you've been lucky. Don't think we'll take it easy on you from now on" growled the one teen as he clenched and unclenched his fist. The second boy managed to overcome his initial shock from the blow to his face and stood by his partner, ready to fight. Their target was grinning at them, welcoming the brawl. The tension was palpable in the air.

"Hey. What's going on?" Just like that, the spell that had been caste on the three brawlers was broken. Ryou's face lost that maniac grin and his body posture visibly relaxed. His narrowed eyes glanced towards the interruption. Tubby and Senior Tubby were approaching from the backyard, behind the two boys. Ryou's face melted into the look of pure innocence. He held his hand up to his injured cheek and threw senior tubby a rather pathetic look. Vernon glared at the two bigger teens and didn't notice Ryou's triumphant grin while he ranted and sent the boys away.

"Thank you Mr. Dursley, Sir." Ryou said with a bow, hiding that devious grin from the Dursleys. Vernon walked over and patted him on the back, saying it was nothing and ordering Dudley to go fetch some ice. After Ryou explained he was going to head home now, Vernon insisting Dudley would walk him home to keep 'those ingrates' away. Ryou waited at the front door while Dudley ran in to get the ice.

"See Yadonushi? I can protect us if you let me. Look what happens when you try to play martyr." The boy purred as he prodded his swollen cheek. His host was quiet in his mind.

"Had I not intervened, they would have taken the ring from you. You do realize this, don't you Yadonushi?" the spirit asked to no one as he tipped his head sideways.

/… I know./ Ryou was thankful the Dursleys came when they did. He knew the spirit. The spirit liked to steal the souls of the people who got in his way. He liked to make things into lifeless dolls.

"Oh, stop your worrying, dear little Yadonushi. I've told you and Pharaoh's little pet that I'm a different person than from when we first met. I was going to leave them alive this time." He chuckled. Ryou vaguely recalled Yugi, the boy who held the spirit of a pharaoh instead of the spirit of a thief, saying the spirit of the ring had helped him before. It wasn't much of a comfort, but if Yugi said the ring spirit had changed for the better then Ryou would have faith in him.

Dudley came out with the ice, which was an effective end to the boy's semi internal conversation. Bakura took the ice and glanced at it in his hand for a moment before letting his narrowed eyes fall on Dudley.

"You can go back inside. I saw you watching from the window. Didn't bother stepping in until your dad noticed the ruckus, huh? You will do no good as a body guard if you're too cowardly to face your own so called friends." The white haired boy's words were calm, but dark and haunting. He turned away from the young Dursley before he could even think of a reply and marched down the street. It wasn't until he was out of sight of the house that he finally lifted the ice and let the cold bring relief to his cheek.

"I guess… I should thank you, Koe. You really weren't going to do anything really bad to them were you? Otherwise, why let me stay awake? I could have stopped you since I was awake." Ryou said quietly as he walked down the street. He wasn't expecting a reply, but he distinctly heard the spirit scoff in the back of his mind.

/As if you could stop me. You may be getting stronger when it comes to the shadows, but thinking you can stop ME is just ridiculous. Again, you display your naivety./

Ryou stopped in his tracks. He was getting stronger with the shadows? How so? Was that a good thing or a bad thing? He glanced down at the ring, hanging openly around his neck and sparkling in the setting sun.

/Yadonushi, the ring and its powers are yours to bear. So long as you wear it, I will keep you safe./

Ryou was silent for a moment. "Keep me safe? Or keep your connection to the living world safe?"

/Yadonushi…always wear the ring./


	11. School Begins

Lightning lit up the dull gray sky as a loud crack echoed through the streets of London. An older man wearing a long brown coat quickly closed the door to his office and opened his umbrella. The weather was taking a turn for the worst and he wanted nothing more than to get home and enjoy some dinner. He pushed through the pelting rain, ignoring the squish of mud under his thick soled boots. He supposed he was lucky there were no fresh graves. The rain would have done horrors to freshly dug soil.

As the man made a quick walk from his office to the entrance of the cemetery, he caught sight of something near the gravestones. Even through the screen of rain he could make out a white topped head. He may have wanted to get home as soon as possible, but he wasn't about to leave a poor old man out in this weather, especially so late at night.

"Sir. Excuse me sir" He called out, raising his voice over the sound of the wind and rain. The man didn't seem to hear him and didn't move from his position against one of the grave markers.

"Sir" He tried once more, laying a hand on the man's shoulder once he was close enough. The man jerked and turned his face upwards. It wasn't an old man, but a young boy. The cemetery worker blinked in surprise. He shook his head and bent down beside the child, sharing his umbrella.

"Where are you parents? Don't you think you should be heading home before they get worried?" The man asked as he looked over the boy. His hair and clothes were soaked through. The teen turned his eyes away from him and looked straight at the tombstone he had been leaning on. A knot twisted in the man's gut as he deciphered the small motion.

"Come on son. You're going to catch your death out here without any protection." He said as he patted the boy's shoulder. Another bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, but the child didn't even flinch. "Besides. I can't close up if you're still in here" he meant it as a joke, but the boy instantly turned towards the man and stood up.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause you trouble. I'll leave right away" said the boy in a quick breath.

"It's okay, it's okay. You can take all the time you need" The man was instantly up and steadying the boy with a hand. The boy's expression still looked guilty and the man's reassuring smile did little to help.

"Thank you. I was just finishing up anyway." The boy replied with a dip of the head. He walked away from the man without another word. The man watched the boy leave before glancing down at the grave site where two bundles of flowers sat in protective plastic coverings.

0

Ryou shivered and let out a small sneeze. The cab driver glanced at his rearview mirror before turning on the heater. Ryou didn't really notice the kind gesture. He was still thinking about his mother and little sister. He felt horrible for not visiting them the previous week. He didn't want to let the spirit of the ring back in London after what happened last time. He regretted not going as soon as Monday came. This time around, he stayed with them for as long as he could. He owed them that much after so selfishly ignoring them.

He sighed and rubbed his arms as the pins and needles started to fade. It had taken awhile to actually catch a cab in this downpour. At least he was finally getting some feeling back in his fingers. As soon as the cab dropped him off at his house, he went straight to his room. His body didn't even complain for food despite only having a light breakfast earlier that morning. He dropped his jacket in the hallway and left his freshly stripped clothes soaking on his bedroom floor. Without the clinging wetness of his clothing, he was already starting to feel better. He curled up under the covers on his bed and took a breath to suppress a shiver. His hair was wetting the blanket and the millennium ring was dripping water onto his sheets, but he could just dry everything out in the morning. For now, he would sleep.

0

Harry paced in his room. School was going to start in three days and they still hadn't gotten their booklists from Hogwarts. It was making him nervous. The only thing that calmed him was that Ron and Hermione hadn't gotten their supply list either. That meant he still wasn't expelled and the school was just running late with those letters.

Right?

Harry let out a heavy sigh and plopped down on his bed. He heard a soft flutter and felt a gentle breeze brush his face as his white winged companion came to comfort him. He reached out and pet her as she cooed. That reminded Harry that, along with the start of school, a certain friend of his had a birthday coming up. He had wondered about getting Ryou a small gift, but he wasn't having much luck finding something muggle friendly. The twins had suggested plenty, but accepting anything edible from them was just asking for trouble. And it wasn't like he was allowed to go outside for a few hours to buy something. He sat up straight and looked over at the small desk in the room. The least he could do was send him some happy birthday wishes.

0

/It's a shame that Potter brat isn't still here. I could have added a new doll to your collection for your birthday./

"That's not even funny, Koe."

Ryou dropped a bowl into the sink and quickly cleaned the remnants of his breakfast off of the silverware. He went about his morning routine as if it was any other day. In all honesty, he saw nothing special about his birthday anyway. After all, everyday was somebody's birthday somewhere. Far more important than acknowledging the addition of one more year to his age was the start of the English school year. Today marked the first day of school. He wasn't exactly excited about school per say, but he was curious about what his new high school would look like and how the people would be. He wondered if he would know anybody from his childhood. He had been to quite a few grade schools in the area when he was younger so he had been introduced to many more kids than the average student.

Ryou zippered up his bag and slung it over his shoulders. He touched a spot on his chest, feeling the hard metal lump of gold that housed his mental roommate snug under his grey uniform. He preferred the uniform of his old school, but there were worse things he could be wearing than the drab grey that now covered him from head to toe. Maybe.

He made it to Stonewall High in decent time and was glad he had left just the slightest bit early. The vice principal had dragged him into the main office where an office assistant gave him a run down on the rules and regulations of the school. By the time they had finished his introduction, the bell had rung to signal the start of homeroom. He glanced at his paper and went towards his room. This school wasn't too complicated to find his way around. He had had a lot of practice getting used to new layouts, whether it was from transferring, moving, or waking up in a strange new place and having no memory of how he got there.

As he entered his new room, all talking silenced and he felt every eye on him. He couldn't be sure, but he was pretty sure he had heard a few gasps upon his entry as well.

"Ah, yes. You must be the new transfer. I hope you enjoy your time here at Stonewall High" The teacher was polite as she strode over to him and stood before the class.

"Students, your newest classmate has come all the way from Japan, so do your best to make him feel welcome." She said as she gave her students a stern look. She turned back to her latest charge and asked him to introduce himself.

"I'm Ryou Bakura. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He said instantly with a charming smile. Now he was sure he heard a few gasps in the crowd and the murmuring started up soon after.

"I thought you said he was from Japan. Why does he speak English so well then?"

"You said that was a 'him' ?"

"Does bleaching your hair hurt?"

"You're THE Ryou Bakura?"

"Quiet down. I'm sure if you ask politely, Ryou would be more than happy to answer your questions. Ryou, you can sit wherever you'd like." The teacher patted Ryou's shoulder and offered an encouraging smile, which Ryou returned, before she went back to her desk to continue taking attendance. Ryou took the first empty seat he came across and instantly he was surrounded by curious, gossiping teenagers. He was kind in his answers, explaining that he originally lived in England but moved to Japan, his hair was natural, and yes, he was the very same Ryou Bakura that was in the finals of the Battle City Tournament.

/well, very same body at least/

Ryou's smile didn't falter and he continued to seamlessly answer question after question. He had always been popular with the girls, probably thanks to his naturally innocent looking face, but this was the first time he had transferred and was flocked to by a few boys as well – fans of his from Duel Monsters. As it turned out, some of the students remembered him from grade school. Unfortunately, some of those people had once called him 'friend' and had to suffer the curse that once came with that position. They sat cautiously away from Ryou, watching him with unreadable expressions. It wasn't until one of Ryou's fans had suggested dueling against him that one of those boys jumped to his feet and all but yelled no. Everyone turned their confused eyes towards the boy, who looked scared at his own outburst and was staring at Ryou. After a tense moment of silence, he finally found his tongue.

"R-Ryou…he's a monster. Everyone he plays a game against and beats…anyone who becomes his friend…" He stuttered, swallowing the lump that had tried to form in his throat. He had to say this. To protect his classmates.

"They get hurt."

Ryou looked away and stared at his interlaced fingers. He didn't want to meet any of the stares he knew were on him now. He blocked out the voices and the yells of the teacher as she tried to regain decorum in the room. Thankfully the bell rang and Ryou was able to slip out to his next period.

0

The remainder of the school day had gone much more smoothly than homeroom. Most of his teachers didn't believe in wasting the first day of class with social ice breakers. Ryou had almost made it out of the school without further incident, but he wasn't that lucky.

"Hey there Whitey. We've come to give you a traditional Stonewall High welcome"

Ryou stopped and looked at the faces of the three upper classmen blocking the hall. Two looked smug, which already set off alarm bells in the younger boy's head. The third boy looked wary and stayed quiet while the other two greeted Ryou. That third boy also looked really familiar.

"Ethan?" Ryou placed the face. Ethan was a boy he befriended at the last English school he attended right before he moved to Japan. It appeared Ethan hadn't forgotten Ryou either, but he refused to acknowledge the white haired boy.

"E, you know Whitey? Then you can do the honors." The other two boys said. At last Ethan's stiff face broke into full fledged panic.

"You see Whitey, we have a little tradition here at Stonewall," The two continued, ignoring their companion's obvious discomfort, "where any fresh meat gets well acquainted with the porcelain of our lavatories."

Ryou watched as a student went to either side of him and clapped a hand on his shoulder with a little too much pressure for it to be considered a friendly gesture.

"Come on Ethan." One of the boys said, goading the only one of the three that had yet to take a single step towards Ryou.

"I…can't. I … I like being awake and I finally stopped flinching whenever somebody sets up a board game. I don't want to go back to … I can't!" He rambled, earning him confused looks from his friends who had no clue what he was talking about.

But Ryou knew. And he wasn't the only one.

"So that's what this is….Ethan….do you want to play a game with me?" The white haired boy said suddenly, a wide smile sitting deceptively on his innocent face, conflicting with his narrowed eyes. Ethan froze as his eyes widened and teeth clenched.

"How about you, boys? You want to play? We can make sure it's something simple so you don't have to think too hard about it. Less pain on your little minds." He continued with total innocence in his voice.

"Hey Whitey, don't push your luck" One of the boy growled back as he pushed Ryou towards the wall. The younger boy didn't even stumble.

"Just one game, what do you say? If you win, you can do whatever you want to me. But if you lose… I can do whatever I want to you." His voice was soft and gentle, but his gaze was sharp and intimidating.

"Dude, come on. T-trust me, don't play. He…he" Ethan stuttered, reaching for his friends' arms, but not daring to get too close to Bakura. Bakura smirked at him, chuckling as one of his past victims jumped backwards.

"That's right. You lost a game to me didn't you? So how was the rest of that year? I can't seem to recall seeing you in school after that." He purred as he walked over to Ethan. Before he could reach the frightened boy, one of the others grabbed his arm.

"Fine. I'll play your stupid game." He said with a sneer. Ethan instantly turned his wide eyes to his friends and yelled no, but his yell went ignored. He instantly turned and ran down the hall, leaving the three boys behind. Bakura smiled at the other two students and nodded.

"Good. Let's play."

0

Ryou slumped his shoulders as he approached his front door. So much for making a good impression on his first day. He was positive he was going to be a social outcast after the spirit's latest fiasco.

/Now now, Yadonushi. It's not like those boys are permanently injured. In a couple of days, they'll wake up with a better respect for their superiors. Be glad I did not make their punishment any worse… threatening my property is a serious offense/

"I'm not your property… and you shouldn't have done anything at all. Ethan was already scared enough from the last time he met you." Ryou grumbled as he stuck the key into his door and turned the lock. At least the spirit left the two kids' souls intact. The boys had lost their game against the spirit and thus had to suffer whatever the spirit decided the penalty was for losing. Penalty games never ended well.

/Come now, Yadonushi. That pathetic Pharaoh you respect so much has dealt his fair share of penalty games as well. A little time trapped in their own nightmares is something he sees as a way to reform those who cross his host. You have no problems when his Royal Pain hands out punishment./

Ryou paused a moment with his hand on the doorknob. "Koe, the difference is you do it just to spite people. You don't want to help anyone."

/Intentions do not change the results./

Ryou shook his head as he pushed open the door and walked inside. He dropped his bag by the entrance and slipped off his shoes. As he headed towards the stairs, he finally realized something was different in his living room. A certain owl was sitting on his couch, watching him.

"How did you get in here?" Ryou chirped as he immediately headed over to the white bird with lifted spirits. He rubbed the owl's soft head and watched her as she fluttered over to the window. The open window. Ryou gasped and gave a quick scan of the room. Nothing was missing.

"Koe, I told you leaving the house open makes me uncomfortable." He said quietly in an unsure voice. The voice in his head didn't bother giving him a reply. Ryou sighed and took a seat on the couch, picking up the letter Hedwig had left on the table. As he read it, he smiled. Harry had remembered his birthday. He let himself relax as he read about Harry's own little dramas at his school.

/He's a liar. Four eyes keeps talking about his female slave as if she's with him often. They go to the same school, not some sister school to this St. Brutus's for boys./

Ryou huffed and laid his letter down.

"Her name is Hermione. She's not his slave, Koe. And we don't know much about the school. Maybe they have lots of classes with their sister school. I trust Harry. There's no reason for him to lie to me about this." He said with a confident calmness to his voice.

0

"It's only been one month, and she's already ruined the school."

"Oh, stop complaining, Ronald. She has not ruined school"

"Oh yeah, she's only made students miserable, refuses to teach, and enjoys disrupting every other class being taught here…" Harry scoffed as he lounged in the Gryffindor common room with his two best friends. October had come fast at Hogwarts and during the short span of 5 weeks, the newest addition to the Hogwarts staff had succeeded in making Harry's favorite class absolutely wretched. Dolores Umbridge had turned Defense Against the Dark Arts into a joke – nothing but biased theories and prejudice points of view. Even worse was her appointment as a High Inquisitor, which was just a fancy way of saying usurper of the headmaster's power, or better yet, the ministry's mole.

"Did you know she's reading my mail? One of the letters I was going to send to Ryou was sent back to me with her writing on it saying I couldn't send it because I was 'divulging too much information to a muggle'. I bet the real reason she stopped it from going out was because I wrote how horrible she was." Harry grumbled as he crossed his arms and pressed his back into the plush red chair.

Ron snickered. "No wonder she was glaring at you extra hard during class this week."

Harry smirked at Ron and the trio moved on to discussing homework until the common room finally began to empty. Today was the first Hogsmeade trip of the year and not even the pink scourge could diminish the excitement flooding the castle. It even helped to pull attention away from Harry himself, which he was more than grateful for. While the other students talked and chatted about the trip, he could walk the halls without their stares and whispers. He didn't even know what to make of his classmates anymore. Those that had once been friendly towards him now watched him with wariness and distrust tainting their eyes. Most of the school didn't believe him when he tried to warn them of Voldemort's return.

"Do you really think people are going to show up?" He asked suddenly as they packed up their books in preparation for the trip. Hermione looked at him a moment before glancing around the empty room.

"Yes. It's the only way anyone in this school is going to learn how to defend themselves." She whispered in reply.

"And you're sure you won't be a better teacher?"

"Harry. Nobody is more qualified than you."

With that, the trio left the common room and went towards the group gathering to head to the local wizarding town of Hogsmeade. They had a meeting to attend to at the Hog's Head pub….but first, Harry had to make a stop at the owlery.

0

Another teenage boy was dealing with his own share of stares and gossip. Ryou let out a dull sigh as he flopped down onto his couch and covered his eyes with his arm. School had started out as a rather nice distraction from his solitude at home, but as the weeks went by, the rumors grew. The two boys the spirit had ended up hospitalizing with mental torture came back to school the following Monday, and they had only fueled the stories that had started to spread like wildfire. Some of the stories were bordering on the line of ridiculous, even for Ryou's standards. On the plus side, Ryou was never approached by a bully wanting to give him a toilet facial again. On the downside, as more time passed, people began to avoid him like a plague. He had taken to walking the halls with his eyes downcast. He didn't want to catch the fearful stares of his classmates. He knew not everyone stared at him with anxiety and dread. In fact, he was quite sure a few of the students refused to talk to him because they saw him as a celebrity and were too embarrassed or nervous to say hello.

No matter the reason behind their distance from him, it made his school life just as lonely as his home life.

/Yadonushi… you once wished you could play with your friends forever. Shall I grant that wish for you again?/

Ryou instantly sat up straight and shook his head.

"Koe, you know that wasn't what I meant when I said I wanted to play with them."

/As figurines in your game, they can't hurt you anymore, Yadonushi. They'll never leave you and you can play with them as much as you want/

"Stop it! They're not hurting me. They're not my friends and I don't want to play with them." Ryou lied as he pressed his fists against the sides of his head. He could hear the spirit chuckling.

/Yadonushi, you'll be late for school if you keep sitting here worrying about your enemies./

Ryou looked up at the clock sitting on the wall and jumped up.

"They're not our enemies either." He said as he held up the ring around his neck. He stuck the golden jewelry under his shirt and hurried out the door.

The spirit was quiet for the rest of the morning, leaving Ryou to his own thoughts. Ryou was always nervous that his classmates would just lose their souls one by one, stolen away by the thief residing in his millennium ring. It was a fear that was consistently present even when he wasn't actually wearing the ring, yet Ryou wondered if the spirit would go through with such actions unless they were seriously provoked. Yugi had been right when he said the spirit had changed since their first encounter with him. Ryou wasn't blacking out for days at a time anymore. In fact, blackouts had become rare and only lasted a few hours at most, which meant the spirit wasn't going off all the time in his body doing who knew what. Even now, out here in England, Ryou thought he could see a better side of the spirit. For one thing, he was becoming a tiny bit more conversational. Sort of.

As soon as Ryou reached his school he felt a chill run up his spine. He couldn't explain it, but he just had a bad feeling churning in his stomach. He couldn't shake the feeling all day, and he felt his body tense from every unexpected sound or movement during every single class. It wasn't just him either. He could feel the spirit of the ring unusually alert throughout the day instead of sleeping through the classes like he normally does.

It was a little before lunch when the knot in his stomach just intensified and he had to rub his arms to try to keep the warmth from leaving him. He shivered anyway and was seriously regretting coming to school today. Then it happened.

/YADONUSHI!/

0

In another part of Europe, a boy marked by the lightning scar etched into his forehead was marching down the hallway with his classmates. He only stopped when he and pretty much the rest of the student population could glare up at the latest addition to the school rules hanging on the wall, courtesy of professor Umbridge.

Harry seethed. All school clubs were disbanded until approval by the pink toad herself.

"Do you think she knows about you know what?" Ron leaned over and whispered to Harry and Hermione. Harry glanced at his red headed friend with a grimace, but Hermione was shaking her head. There was no way she could have found out about their Defense Against the Dark Arts meeting. Hermione had made sure they'd know if someone had snitched.

Either way, now their little club was officially illegal and they'd have to find someplace well hidden if they were going to get away with it. Harry really didn't want to take a group of kids down into the chamber of secrets, but it was looking to be the only safe place. Luckily it didn't come to that, since the very next day, the problem was solved. Dobby, a house elf and close friend of Harry's, had given the trio the perfect place to practice – the room of requirement. Things were starting to look up.

0

Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat at the Gryffindor table in the Great hall, discussing the very first meeting of their secret club. Hermione pulled out a gold galleon from her pocket, checking the numbers inscribed along its side.

"Yes. It worked. All the coins should have changed to tomorrow's date" She said as she hid the coin away in her robes.

"More importantly," Ron began as he chewed a bite of chicken, "the Quidditch teams are back. You want to come to our practice tonight, Hermione?" He asked her, more than proud to be able to include himself now that he was the Gryffindor keeper. Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Sorry. I'd rather spend the night catching up on my reading." She said calmly.

"Catching up on what? You're already ahead of all the classes" Ron said sarcastically as he took another bite of food.

"Our O.W.L.s are this year you know. I have a list of books I want to have read cover to cover before it's time for the examinations."

"Extra reading? I swear, you're not a normal one, are you?" Ron laughed. Hermione responded by giving him a good kick from under the table. Ron looked affronted by the action, but Hermione made a point to look away from him and back towards Harry. After seeing her face go from irritated to worried, Ron followed her gaze.

"What's the matter mate?" asked the ginger. Harry looked up from his sudden stupor and shook his head.

"Nothing, just… thinking about Hedwig. I knew they were checking my mail, but to go so far as to injure Hedwig…" After Hermione had mentioned owls, Harry couldn't shake his feathered companion from his mind. Hedwig was with Professor Grubby Plank for now. He said she would be fine, but it still irritated Harry that she had been hurt at all. She hadn't even managed to make it to Ryou to drop off his latest letter.

"She'll be fine Harry." Hermione instantly consoled him, patting him on the shoulder. As if the thoughts of owls alone could summon them, a flock of all shapes and sizes flew into the Great Hall. Harry felt wind brush against his head as a particularly large owl passed by, and as expected, Hedwig did not make an appearance. Ron received a copy of the evening Daily Prophet during the flurry of feathers. He ignored it in favor of his food.

"Yes, I know. I've been told by plenty of people that her injuries aren't serious. That doesn't mean I still can't be angry about it" Harry replied with a bit of an edge in his voice. Hermione recoiled her hand and looked like she had just been slapped. Harry took a deep breath and quietly apologized to her. A silence followed after that, and Ron finally decided to break that silence by unrolling his Daily Prophet. He flipped it open and began skimming the titles for anything Quidditch related or maybe something about the Ministry finally accepting that He-who-must-not-be-named is back.

"Wait… what does that say about muggles?" Hermione asked as she caught sight of a headline reading 'Muggles attacked! Was Magic Involved?' She snatched the paper from Ron's hands, ignoring his protests and flipping to the proper page to read the story. Her eyes flitted across the page with the practiced ease of a speed reader.

"So, what does it say?" Harry asked as he put down the piece of bread he had in his hand. Hopefully whatever it was didn't have anything to do with Hermione's home town.

"It says, yesterday on the seventh of October, a small public muggle learning facility underwent an attack of questionable origins. The building itself has sustained unnatural damage, and many of the muggles within were discovered unconscious. Few details have been released about the current condition of these muggles, though a majority of them are still in the hospital. Although it is easy to dismiss this event as muggle tomfoolery, magical essence was discovered at the scene. The Ministry of Magic claims that everything is under control, and that nobody should be alarmed. It is believed that this was the act of teen wizards recently of age using magic recklessly. The ministry is still looking into the matter and talking to the eye witnesses as they awaken..." Hermione's voice lowered as she read the rest on her own. Harry looked to Ron, but he merely shrugged. It didn't seem all that important.

"Hermione… it wasn't anywhere you knew right? Your family is still safe?" Harry asked as he looked at the brunette. He was confused by the stare she was giving him.

"….what?"

Hermione hesitated and looked away for a moment, re-reading the page in the paper. She took a breath and returned her gaze to her friend.

"Harry….the place that was attacked… it was Stonewall High."


	12. Hospital

Quidditch practice hadn't gone too well at all. That was partially because Harry's mind was far from focusing on the sport he so loved, and partially because once Ron missed a single ball, the ginger just slipped into a funk and couldn't really block anything else. Angela, the Gryffindor team captain, gave them a nice stern scolding that Harry really didn't hear. Despite Ron's meager attempts to strike up some kind of conversation, the two walked back to their dorms in relative silence. There they found Hermione waiting up for them.

"Harry, Professor McGonagall assured us that the students would be okay. She said an auror is watching over them." Hermione watched as Harry continued to pace the common room. Everyone else had already gone to bed, leaving just the trio of Gryffindors in the room. Harry had gone straight towards Dumbledore's office when he found out it had been Ryou's school that was attacked. Hermione could understand his worry – between all the letters Ryou and Harry were sharing, she can grown to care about Ryou and she feared for the muggle boy as well. It was a few minutes after their arrival outside the entrance to Dumbledore's study that Professor McGonagall came around and found the trio each shouting different kinds of candies at the stone statue that guarded the headmaster's office. Their head of house had done her best to calm their fears, but it was clearly still bothering Harry.

"I just want to know if he's one of the ones in the hospital. I want to make sure he's all right." Harry said as he stopped his pacing and gripped the back of one of the couches. Ron looked at Harry from his spot on an armchair.

"Who knows mate. Maybe he wasn't even in school that day. Maybe he skipped or was sick at home" Ron offered, but it did little to lighten Harry's spirits.

"Harry, if you're that worried… well, maybe we can talk to Dumbledore about it tomorrow. Maybe he'll know something the papers didn't say." Hermione watched Harry closely, noticing that the black haired teen was thinking her suggestion over.

"Yeah… I guess." He started, thinking hard. He looked up at his two friends with a frown. "I don't think it was teenage wizards that attacked the school either. What if it was Voldemort? What if the paper is just hiding a muggle massacre or something?" He blurted out. Ron visibly flinched at the name of the dark lord and Hermione looked at the ground a moment before looking back at Harry.

"Harry, why would Voldemort attack a muggle school? He would have nothing to gain from it."

"Maybe he knows I know Ryou and he did it just to get to me" Harry replied instantly. Hermione raised an eyebrow. Harry was really letting his paranoia get to him. Hermione let out a sigh and shook her head.

"We can get some answers tomorrow. For now, we've got to sleep. Tomorrow is an important day."

0

When the next day came, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were once again standing beside the statue guarding Dumbledore's office, each offering up possible passwords.

"Are you sure he's even up there? I'd hate to be wasting all this effort to figure out this bloody password, only to find out he's not up there" Ron grumbled as he slumped against the wall. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"You're barely even trying. You've repeated the same word at least five times. And we know he's up there. Harry checked the Marauder's Map" She said before joining Ron against the wall. She continued to rack her brain for different kinds of candies the headmaster would use as a password, but her list was running out of options. Harry sighed and glared at the gargoyle guardian. It shouldn't be this hard to talk to your headmaster. This was absolutely ridiculous. Sometimes Harry swore Dumbledore was avoiding him on purpose.

"You know what? Let's find out for ourselves then. If none of the professors care, we can just… go check the hospital on our own." Harry said, his gaze never breaking away from that darn gargoyle. His friends stared at him.

"And how do you reckon we do that? Just hop on the local train?" Ron asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No… we sneak to Hogsmeade, floo to Diagon Alley, go through the Leaky Cauldron, and get a cab to the hospital." Harry smirked at the flabbergasted look on Ron's face.

"But Harry…we don't even know which hospital the students were taken too, and the teachers will notice we're missing." Hermione, ever the voice of reason, spoke up.

"I'll bet the local muggle paper has something on the attack. They might have the hospital listed. If not, we can just ask around. And we can go at night under the invisibility cloak. We've never been caught before when we do this kind of stuff." He said with a shrug. He was sure this would work. It wouldn't be the first time they broke curfew or snuck off the school grounds.

"We'll be back by morning. Nobody will know we were gone." He added as he took in Hermione's nervous look. Ron seemed to accept the plan and was watching Hermione as well.

"Oh…oh fine. But we can't do it until after our meeting" She said as she fiddled with a golden coin she had pulled out from within her school robe. She traced the outline of the galleon in her hand with her finger before letting it disappear in her pocket once more. Harry nodded and the three headed down the hall. They had a new Defense class to teach.

0

Night came quickly and Harry stood waiting in the Gryffindor common room with his invisibility cloak in his hands. His usual school attire was sitting on his bed, and instead he was wearing a ragtag pair of jeans and a baggy t shirt. He looked across the room and watched his red haired friend who was also wearing some more common garb. Ron was fiddling with his wand, mimicking the movements for the expelliarmus charm. Harry smiled. It turned out that the newly christened 'Dumbledore's Army' had been worthwhile after all. The meeting had gone pretty well considering Professor Umbridge and her Slytherin spies were everywhere looking for any signs of misbehavior or rule breaking.

At last Hermione came down from the girls' dormitory dressed in her own set of street clothes.

"You're sure you want to do this, Harry?" She whispered. Harry nodded and the three slipped under the cloak. They were not as small as they used to be and keeping them all hidden was proving to be a small challenge. The three didn't risk conversing while out in the halls even though they knew they were completely alone. Even their breathing was quieted as they reached the stairs leading to the Defense Against the Dark Arts room. Professor Umbridge wouldn't be in there at the moment, but they were extra cautious anyway. Harry pulled out his wand while Hermione and Ron kept lookout. He tapped the hump of a one-eyed witch statue sitting near the stairs, muttering the word Dissendium. The hump slowly opened and Harry ushered his friends inside without another word. It was times like these he truly appreciated Ron's crazy twin brothers and the marauder's map.

At the end of the passage hidden behind the statue, the trio found themselves in the cellar of Honeydukes – the sweetshop of Hogsmeade. The lights were all out and the place was eerily silent without any employees or customers.

"Why couldn't we just use the floo powder in the common room? That would have saved us loads of time and we could have skipped the whole sneaking bit." Ron said as they crept towards the stairs in the empty store.

"The fireplaces in the school are being watched. Don't you remember what happened last time Sirius tried to talk to us through the fireplace? Professor Umbridge almost caught him." Hermione reminded the red head. Harry nodded before going upstairs, letting his lumos lit wand guide the way. Once upstairs, he looked around the room. He spotted the door that led to the public section of the store. Tempting as it was to go grab some candy, they had a different mission to focus on and he looked elsewhere. He felt Hermione tap him on the shoulder and motion towards the opposite side of the room. A fireplace sat with a rod hanging beside it – most likely used to heat certain kinds of sweets or to hold a cauldron to make some of the potions inside the candies. Ron looked at the fireplace as a thought suddenly hit him.

"Great. So, now we've got a fireplace that we're hoping is connected to the floo network…. But where are we going to get - "

"floo powder?" Hermione asked as she held up a small pot filled with silver dust.

"How did …. "

"Come now Ron, the employees have to get home somehow and not everyone lives close enough to walk or fly." She said with a smile. Harry chuckled and dipped his hand into the fine powder.

"Take enough to come back with too" Hermione advised as Ron came over to take his own handful of powder. She pulled out a little pouch she had brought with her from school while the boys looked at each other for a moment, holding their handfuls, and then looked at Hermione. They gave her silent pleading looks, which she met with a frown.

"Oh fine, I guess I'll have to carry some for you two as well" She sighed as she took even more powder and put enough for all three of them into the little bag. She closed it up and hid it away before placing the powder filled pot back on the mantle she had snatched it from and walking over with her fist full of floo powder.

Harry looked at the two, gave a nod, and stepped into the fireplace.

"Diagon Alley." He called in a clear voice as the powder fell from his hand. In a flash of green flames, he vanished from sight. Seconds later, he reappeared on the deserted streets of Diagon Alley. The dim light of the moon shined down, showing just a stray paper blowing down the street. Moments later Ron and Hermione appeared, dusting off their clothes. The three hurried towards the Leaky Cauldron, using the invisibility cloak just in case somebody was up at this late hour. Hermione didn't even want to think about what the local authorities would think if they caught a bunch of students wandering around so far away from school at such a late hour. When they reached the back of the Leaky Cauldron, they pushed the door open and hastily went inside. They didn't bother closing the door, for upon entry the man behind the bar instantly looked at the door. The trio slowly backed away, careful not to bump into anything lest they give away their position. The barkeep walked over to the door, poking his head outside curiously and the trio used the chance to race out the front door. The barkeep instantly pulled his head inside, staring towards the front door where he had sworn he just heard a bang. There was nothing in sight though. He scratched his head and closed the back door.

Once outside, the trio walked a block away from the pub before hiding in an alley and stashing the cloak of invisibility into Harry's jacket pocket.

"That wasn't so bad. Now we just need to catch a cab to the hospital." Harry said with a smile. He glanced at Ron and repressed a small laugh. "Uh…Ron, no offense… but once we've got a cab, just…don't talk to the driver. Let me and Hermione handle the muggle business" He said and Ron was confused at first, but then he looked downright insulted by the insinuation that he'd blow their secret. It wasn't until Hermione asked him if he knew how to 'break a $20' that he finally calmed down. He really was ignorant when it came to the normal life of a non magical person.

Harry waved down a cab and the three huddled into the back seat. They were thankful the man in the car didn't question what children were doing out so late on the streets of London.

"Where to?" The cabbie asked as he studied his customers in the review mirror. Harry hesitated. They had never figured out where the students from the high school had been taken. Hermione quickly spoke up.

"Can you take us to the hospital where all the students from Stonewall High School were taken?" She asked in her most polite tone.

"Miss, visiting hours have been over for a while now" The cabbie began, but Hermione was relentless.

"Oh, please take us. You see, my brother was at school during the incident. As soon as I found out, my cousins and I just had to come check on him. We were supposed to arrive much earlier today, but our plane arrived late. Our guardians said they would meet us at the hospital so we could be there to support my poor brother. I don't want to lose my only sibling!" She cried, eyes starting to water. Harry caught on to what she was doing and patted her shoulder as if he were comforting her. Ron just watched the two in confusion. Thankfully, the ginger wasn't noticed by the cab driver who merely nodded in understanding and started to drive.

The car ride was silent – partially to hold up the act, and partially because nobody knew what to say. Hermione was the one who ended up paying the cab fair, and Harry promised he'd pay her back on galleons. Harry had also urged the driver to move on instead of waiting for them. They couldn't hide under the cloak again until he was gone.

Once safely hidden, invisible to the world, the trio made their way into the hospital. They held their breath when the woman behind the desk looked up at door, which seemed to have opened for no visible reason. They slowly snuck by her as she stared at the door with a furrowed brow, and once they reached a hallway, they picked up their pace. Hermione finally stopped them so she could look at a map. Ron had protested, but she saw no point in wandering the hall endlessly when there was a perfectly good map they could use to narrow down their search. Men and asking for directions….

She guided them to where she thought the students would be judging on how the building was divided, and the boys followed without question. Hermione was rarely wrong.

They were walking down hall after hall, peeking in through the windows and doors. Harry finally froze in his spot as they were passing one particularly large window. Inside, a line of beds were sitting perpendicular to the wall. No curtain divided them, but each had its own bedside table. Some had flowers, stuffed animals, or cards… but one had a schoolbag. Its owner had a mess of white hair.

"Is…is he in there?" Hermione asked once she noticed Harry staring. She looked inside the room, scanning the many bodies that lay motionless within. She looked back at Harry, who was giving a small silent nod.

"Which one?" Ron asked as he leaned closer against the glass. Harry pointed towards the white haired boy and the three locked their eyes on the sleeping figure. Ryou's eyes were tightly closed and instead of a blank, expressionless face people usually wore when they were unconscious, Ryou was frowning. Then someone grabbed the invisibility cloak and tore it away from the watching teenagers. The trio gasped and spun around, staring wide eyed at the tall, dark skinned man before them. Both the man and the students' blinked in recognition.

"Harry Potter. With Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger." The man's face was a picture of surprise and disapproval.

"And you're Kingsley Shacklebolt. You mean you're the auror in charge of interrogating the witnesses?" Hermione was surprised. Kingsley Shacklebolt was a senior auror and, despite his secret status as a member of the Order of the Phoenix, well respected within the ministry. Why would they send someone so powerful just to talk to a bunch of muggle children?

"How did you know we were here? We were invisible!" Ron asked with a bit of annoyance clear in his voice.

" It is my job to hear the victims' accounts of the attack before erasing their memories." Replied the auror as he looked at Hermione. He turned his gaze towards Ron and gave a half smile.

"That cloak may hide you from sight, but it does not silence your voices. Now, what are you three children doing so far away from Hogwarts in the middle of the night visiting a muggle hospital?" Kingsley demanded as he gave the trio a stern look, smile nowhere to be found.

"I know one of the students that was in the attack" Harry said instantly, staring straight back at the auror. He was here to visit a friend. He had nothing to be ashamed of. "Nobody was telling me anything, so I came to check on him myself."

Kingsley did not drop his look of disapproval.

"Look, I just want to know how he's doing. I find that out, and we'll go straight back to Hogwarts." Harry said as he raised his hands as if that would show his honesty. Kingsley watched the trio carefully before turning his eyes towards the patients. His face was unreadable. Harry turned to look at the kids as well.

"They are okay….aren't they?" Hermione asked suddenly. She had been watching the kids for awhile now and very few of them made any movements what so ever. Kingsley didn't answer. Hermione turned to look at the auror in confusion.

"well?" Harry prompted, returning his attention to Kingsley.

"Most likely they are just recovering from their worst memories. They should awaken in time."

"Memories? What do you mean by that? How could memories comatose people? And the Daily Prophet said magic was involved. Isn't that why you're here?" Hermione wasn't going to accept that half-answer, even if Kingsley did work for the ministry. As she spoke, Harry knew exactly how to answer her questions.

"Dementors."

Kingsley looked at Harry, but his face still showed nothing. "This isn't the concern of children. You've checked on your friend, now go back to school. Now." He ordered, but with the realization that Dementors could have been involved, Harry was even more worried for Ryou. What if he lost his soul?

"Harry… he's moving. Quite a lot actually." Ron said, gaining the attention of Kingsley and Hermione as well as Harry. The red head pointed and sure enough Ryou was awake, sitting straight up in his bed, looking around with panic clear on his face.

0

Darkness clouded his mind. Everything was cold and his lungs felt tight. His head was pounding and he didn't know why. He felt something warm in his hands, but he couldn't seem to open his eyes to look at it. Besides, he was a little alarmed by the strange pressure in his head. He didn't like it and tried to push it away but it was pretty resilient. He frowned and tried harder. Sure enough it started to leave… but something else replaced it. Nightmarish pictures. Scenes replaying over and over again. Blood, laughter, crunching metal…lights, cloaks, screaming. His breathing grew rapid and that weird pressure tried to return, but that only helped to increase his panic.

Then his eyes opened and he sat up straight with a small scream.

Ryou was breathing heavily and his whole body trembled. That warm thing was still in his hands and he looked down to find his knuckles turning white as they gripped gold. He tried to calm himself. Whatever was wrong had to have been a dream. He was in bed.

But not his bed.

Ryou jerked his head up and looked to either side of him. Panic swelled up inside once more as he took in the sight of motionless bodies. They weren't soulless right? Or did those strangers with the sticks that shot lights do something to them? Did they kill the students? Was he dead too? He finally released his grip on the millennium ring and held his arms to try to stop them from shaking so much. He barely even registered the bandage on his arm.

His head jerked up at the sound of a door opening. A man was coming in and he was pulling something out of his pocket. A stick. Instantly Ryou's look of panic melted into a dark glare. The man barely had time to register the change before the boy jumped out of bed and threw the blanket over the man. He grabbed the stick and forced it out of the man's hand with the help of a good elbow to the abdomen and threw the chunk of wood across the room, letting it land with a dull clatter in the darkness. He turned his narrowed gaze back on the man who had finally gotten the blanket off of his head and was prepared to launch a punch at that look of shock, but a voice caught him off guard.

"RYOU!"

The boy blinked as a familiar black haired kid with glasses came running over to him. In that moment of hesitation, Bakura found himself covered by the very blanket he had used against the stick wielder. The blanket was wrapped around his torso tightly, keeping his arms pinned to his sides. He tried his best to thrash around, but the man had a firm grip on him.

"Ryou, it's okay. We're here to help. Nobody is going to hurt you" Bakura heard four eyes again, using a calm voice as if to reassure him. He stopped his movement, becoming as still as death, and turned to glare at his Yadonushi's little pen pal.

"Then tell him to release me" Bakura growled with acid in his voice. The other boy blinked rapidly before nodding towards the man that had grabbed the white haired teenager and slowly Bakura felt his arms being freed. He pulled away from the man and put a few steps of distance between them, all the while letting his glare fall on the stick wielder.

"Ryou. It's…good to see you."

Bakura jerked his head towards the owner of the voice. The Potter brat was keeping his distance, but his face held worry.

Harry watched his friend nervously. He was truly glad that Ryou had woken up, but he didn't want to do anything else to startle him. Especially if he really had been attacked by Dementors. He smiled in relief as the white haired teen took a large breath and looked at Harry with a much calmer gaze.

"Harry… what's going on? Where am I?" Ryou asked as he started to walk towards Harry. He turned his eyes towards Kingsley and moved in an arc to avoid stepping any closer to the intimidating man. Harry noticed whatever fire had been in Ryou a minute ago had extinguished, leaving behind his usual timid self.

"Young man. I have a few questions for you." Kingsley said and Harry watched as Ryou all but jumped at the sound of the auror's voice.

"He's a good guy, Ryou. He just wants to know what happened." Harry assured him, but Ryou was still tense.

"He had a stick. Just like them. The people with sticks are bad." Ryou argued in a gentle yet anxious voice. Again his soft brown eyes flitted to Kingsley.

"People with sticks?" Harry parroted and Ryou gave a quick nod of the head, letting his eyes fall to the floor. Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out his wand. "Like this one?" He asked and Ryou gasped as soon as he saw it. He took a step away from Harry and looked like a coiled spring just waiting to be unlatched. The wrong words would send him running for sure. Harry took that response as a yes.

"You were attacked by people with wands?" He blurted out as the realization hit him. Ryou had been staring at Harry's wand, but now his eyes jumped up to meet Harry's, and as Harry watched he swore he could see Ryu's expression change from confusion to realization.

"Harry. That's enough. You need to get back to your school." Kingsley's deep, commanding voice rung out in the room. Harry was trying to think up an argument, but Ryou spoke first.

" Wands… like magic wands? The people in cloaks…they were witches and wizards then? Those lights… they were spells…" Ryou said suddenly, positioning himself closer to Harry while maintaining his distance from Kingsley. Harry looked up at the auror, as if looking for permission to expose the magical world. He decided a second after looking towards the auror that he really didn't need permission. He looked back towards Ryou and nodded. It didn't matter what Ryou heard now anyway.

"Ryou, did you notice anything else about the cloaked people? Were they wearing masks, or did one have creepy red eyes?" Harry asked as he put his hands on Ryou's shoulders. Ryou tensed at the touch.

"Harry. Enough. Ryou is it? I need you to tell me what you saw when your school was attacked." Kingsley's voice rang out again and the auror stared at the boy. After Harry had calmed this 'Ryou' child, the boy wouldn't make eye contact with him. The auror had actually been impressed by the boy's quick action against him and how he instantly disarmed him. It seemed he was much more alert than the few children who had actually awoken since the incident. All of the other students couldn't recall a thing except the coldness and the replay of their darkest memories in their minds. But this boy had seen the wands of his attackers and recognized his own wand as the same weapon. He had also come to the conclusion of magic on his own. He could tell the child was shy by the way he kept looking at the floor or towards Harry for support. It was for that reason alone he was letting Harry Potter stay in the room at all.

"I don't really know. The wall just exploded. My classmates…some of them started to cry or scream. Sometimes both. People in black cloaks came in and were shooting at things with their sti-….wands. Things just started breaking and when the magic hit the people, they screamed really loud… or just hit the ground." Ryou shuddered as he recalled the memories.

"The school windows frosted when the wraiths came in. Everything near them grew icy." Ryou looked up and stared at Harry, his face looking as if what he was about to say something that was both alarming something that Harry wouldn't believe.

"The wraiths didn't have eyes or anything on their faces except mouths. They could fly too. They make pictures come into your head. I don't know how, but they do! They were much worse than the wand wielders."

Ryou finally looked up to see adult man's face, and went back and forth between him and Harry's expression. They both seemed shocked and their faces were covered with disbelief. As expected. They didn't believe him.

"Ryou… you can see Dementors?"

Ryou turned towards Harry in confusion.

"Dementors? What … that's what the wraiths are called?"

/Yadonushi, they know exactly what was going on./ The voice whispered, as he had been since relinquishing control to his host. Potter was close enough to take down in one hit if needed and the mage was disarmed. The spirit was confident he could win if it came to a fight. He was ready to take over at a moment's notice.

"Harry, you know something. Please… tell me what you know." Ryou pleaded as he stared at Harry. He watched as Harry looked at the tall, dark man who was staring at Ryou. It made him uncomfortable and he felt for sure he was squirming under that gaze.

Harry looked up at Kingsley, just as surprised as the auror that Ryou had seen what was supposed to be invisible to a muggle. It had seemed clear Ryou had no magic of his own. He hadn't recognized his attackers as wizards, nor had he known what a wand was, or the proper name of a Dementor. And yet he saw them. He looked at Ryou and took a breath.

"Ryou. I'm a wizard."

0

Hermione jumped a little as Kingsley came back out into the hall. She and Ron had watched the whole event through the window and Hermione in particular was curious as to what was said inside. She glanced back at the window, watching as Harry and Ryou sat on the edge of Ryou's hospital bed and Harry began talking to a very attentive Ryou. She looked back at Kingsley in confusion.

"What's going on?" She asked as she watched the auror stare through the window.

"That child. How does Harry know him?" Kingsley asked, ignoring Hermione's question in favor of his own. Hermione felt annoyed at the snuff, but answered anyway.

"He met him over the summer. He's a muggle that moved into Little Whinging."

"You are sure he is a muggle?"

Hermione tipped her head and looked back into the room at Ryou. Without Kingsley in there, he was steadily starting to relax. His face was also going from panicked concern to something between curiosity and awe. She really wanted to know what they were talking about.

"Course he's a muggle. He's not going to Hogwarts. Wasn't he in a muggle school?" Ron suddenly spoke up from beside Hermione, jolting her out of her thoughts.

"Is there a reason to doubt him?" Hermione asked as she and Ron locked their stares onto the auror. Kingsley frowned. He didn't want to give these children any reason to delay their return to Hogwarts and the protection it offered, but Harry was the type of boy who would tell them anyway.

"He can see Dementors." He said stiffly. This was unexpected. If the boy was truly muggle, he was unique in being able to see the magical. More than likely, the boy was magical himself.

"That's not possible. Muggles can't see Dementors. If he saw them… he must have magic too." Hermione echoed the auror's thoughts and all three of them returned to watching Harry and Ryou in the room. Ryou was nodding at something and smiling pleasantly, a smile that was matched by Harry. The boy who lived stood up and walked to the other end of the room, retrieving something from the ground as Ryou watched. Harry walked towards the door and slipped outside.

"From Ryou's description, the school was attacked by Death Eaters for sure." Harry said in a confident voice as he handed Kingsley something – the auror's thrown wand.

"Harry, I thought you said Ryou was a muggle." Ron said as he gave his friend a curious look.

"I thought he was. He doesn't know anything about the magical world, and he said he was never invited to a magic school before either. Maybe he's just a muggle that can see Dementors" Harry said with a shrug.

"That's just not possible. Ryou HAS to be magical. He's probably a muggle born wizard." Hermione said. He still should have received a letter. Maybe he was missed somehow?

"So wait, did you just spill everything magical to him?" Ron asked and Harry gave a quick yes.

"And he believed you without a fuss?" Hermione looked back at Ryou after Harry nodded. It just strengthened her theory that he was a muggle born wizard that was missed. He might have had bouts of accidental magic.

"Maybe it was because he moved to Japan. Perhaps the local Japanese school thought an English school would teach him, while an English school figured a Japanese school would take over his schooling." She said, offering her theory to an unasked questioned.

"What was because he moved?" Ron asked.

"That he didn't get a letter" Hermione replied with a roll of her eyes.

"Well, whatever his – " Harry's thought was cut short by a loud crack that echoed in the hallway. He turned towards the sound and his eyes fell on two cloaked figures wearing skull masks. Death Eaters.

"Ah, Kingsley Shacklebolt. So you're the big bad auror playing protection." One of the figures called as a bright green light jumped from her outstretched wand straight towards Kingsley. The auror dodged easily and positioned himself in front of Harry and his friends. The trio was smart enough to pull the invisibility cloak over them shortly after.

"Aww, how cute. Protect the kiddies at your own risk right? Don't worry darling, we won't kill them all. We're just after one." The witch cooed in delight as she sent another curse towards the auror, which rebounded off of a shield charm. Kingsley growled under his breath. Harry hadn't been exposed for that long. How had they known he was here?

The second Death Eater raised his wand and prepared to launch a spell of his own towards the closed door that held the students, but the door suddenly opened and the white hair of Ryou poked out. His brown eyes widened as he caught sight of the familiar black cloaks and masks.

"Ryou RUN!" Harry shouted, pulling the cloak off his head. His voice was like an alarm bell, and instantly Ryou tore off down the hallway. The male Death Eater shouted stupify and Harry watched with horror as a red beam collided with Ryou's back and his friend hit the floor hard. The female Death Eater protected her accomplice as they were attacked by the auror. As she caught sight of the now visible lightning scarred teen, she cried out in delight.

"Harry Potter! Perfect. He'll be so pleased" She called and her wand was aimed at him. Harry felt rage building up inside him and he reached into his pocket.

"No! You three get somewhere safe. Leave Ryou to me." Kingsley ordered as Harry pulled out his wand. Harry's protests were silenced when Kingsley said their very presence was making Ryou's retrieval that much harder.

"Then don't protect us! We can defend ourselves!" Harry argued back, but there was just no arguing with the senior auror. Even worse, Harry's distraction had allowed the Death Eaters to catch up to Ryou and while the female caste a powerful shield spell, the male bent down to lay a hand on Ryou's back.

"What about Potter?" The witch called out to the wizard behind her.

"He wasn't the assignment. We can get him next time. Unless you think you can kill Shacklebolt while constantly defending." The male Death Eater sneered at his female partner. He returned his attention to the unmoving boy before him and prepared to get this mission over with.

"Harry! They're going to apparate!" Hermione called and Harry's eyes locked onto Ryou with terror. Just then, the still figure of his friend rolled over and slammed his feet into the Death Eater's face with enough force to make the man crumple backwards to the ground. The second Death Eater turned to face Ryou in shock and turned her wand towards him as he stood, but that was all it took for Kingsley to get a good spell in, sending the witch flying against the wall. Once she managed to right herself, she grabbed her accomplice and disapperated with a loud crack.

Harry stared at Ryou, who was breathing heavily and had his hands balled into fists, standing ready to strike anything that came too close. He ran over to him, ignoring the feral stare Ryou was sending his way. Ron and Hermione could only watch in surprise.

"That was a bloody good kick" Ron finally sputtered as he watched Harry talk to the enigma that was Ryou. He hadn't really pictured Ryou as a white haired skinny little boy who could hit like that.

Ron's statement went unopposed as silence covered the hall. The auror looked at the children and caught their attention with his strong voice.

"Come on. All four of you. You can't stay here any longer." Kingsley said as Harry and Ryou walked over to him. Only Ryou seemed uncertain about where exactly Kingsley intended them to go.

"You're not going to leave him here and erase his memory?" Hermione asked as she glanced at Ryou.

"Erase my memory? !"

"No. It's clear he was their target. I'll escort you all to Hogwarts." Kingsley said as he affixed Ryou was a curious stare. What did the Death Eaters want from him?


	13. Meeting Ryou

Ryou Bakura stayed close to a certain Harry Potter as the small collection of children was led by a single adult man out of the hospital. The white haired child of the group could only stare in suppressed surprise when the woman that worked behind the counter at the entrance didn't even seem to notice their presence as they walked by. He sent a suspicious glance towards the man, who he learned was named Kingsley Shacklebolt, and the wand he had pointed in the woman's direction.

The cold air felt oddly refreshing and he began to wonder just how long he had been cooped up in that building. He readjusted his backpack slung lazily over his shoulder and turned to look over the hospital, mind trying to replay the events that led to him being brought here in the first place. Surely he had not been here for more than a day or two. He was interrupted in his train of thought as he felt the boy with the darkest hair in the group tug on his sleeve.

"Come on Ryou. This way." Harry looked at his friend curiously. Ryou seemed distracted, but he guessed he could understand why. He had just been given a lot to take in and he was probably still frazzled from the attack. Harry was getting used to a life of danger, but he knew not everyone could handle it well when trouble followed them wherever they went. He gave one more glance towards Ryou, who yet again seemed to be thinking hard about something as he followed the group in silence. Harry quickened his step so he was walking beside Kingsley.

"So…where exactly are we going? Can you apparate with this many people, or are we going to use floo powder? A portkey?" He asked the auror curiously. Kingsley sighed and looked at the green eyed boy.

"We're taking the train." He said, not bothering to explain that there were too many people for apparition, he lacked floo powder and the convenience of a magical fireplace, and he did not want to waste time with the paperwork required to legally create a portkey. Despite his short answer, Harry seemed satiated and let himself fall back in step with the mysterious youth the Death Eaters had been ordered to kidnap.

Harry had decided he'd try to keep Ryou as informed about what they were doing as possible. He told the others they were heading towards the train station, and while Hermione accepted this, Ron wore a look of confusion. Harry was surprised to see a lack of response from Ryou.

"Is the Hogwarts Express there? I didn't think they'd send that just to pick up a few stray students." Ron said and Hermione resisted the urge to slap her forehead.

"Ron, the Hogwarts Express isn't the only train in King's Cross Station you know" She informed the ginger, and Harry smirked. It was nice being able to wind down like this after such a close encounter with Dark Magic. He turned to Ryou again, but the other boy still looked impassive. His eyes were alert alright, but he didn't seem interested in Ron and Hermione's little discussion. Suddenly his brown eyes turned towards Harry.

"Hey. That spell that hit me. What are the details of its effects?" He asked out of nowhere. Harry's mind went blank at the suddenness of the question. It took him an extra second to even remember what spell Ryou had been hit by.

"It was a stunning spell. It's supposed to make you fall unconscious." He finally replied, watching as Ryou looked down in thought.

"That reminds me. You recovered awfully fast from it. For a moment, I thought you had dodged it somehow. Did it deflect off of something or just skim you?" Hermione asked as she and Ron looked at Ryou. They had dropped their conversation in favor of this one as soon as they heard Ryou open his mouth and actually speak.

"What is the duration of the spell? Is there a way to remove it?" Ryou completely ignored their friendly inquiries and pressed on with his own. Hermione tilted her head, trying to keep the small spark of irritation from Ryou's brush off of her question hidden from her face.

"The spell wears off over time, but how long that time is depends on the strength of the spell. There is a counter spell, but why do you ask Ryou?" Hermione was genuinely perplexed by his interest in the stunning spell. Then again, she remembered that Harry said Ryou had a fascination with magic in a muggle way. She smiled. Maybe he was seeing the nightmare he had been thrown into as a dream instead.

"Cast the counter spell on me."

The trio all looked confused by that request.

"You don't need it. You're awake just fine. Obviously that Death Eater was pathetically weak since it didn't last all that long." Ron said and Hermione nodded. She didn't agree that the Death Eater was weak, but Ron was right about Ryou not needing it.

"You don't need to worry Ryou. The only effect the spell has is to make a person black out. Once you've awoken, the spell is done." She said just to clarify that there was nothing to fear from the spell. No side effect or secondary thing he would need removed. She was disappointed that this failed to placate the boy who in turn glared at the ground and picked up his pace.

"Harry, you sure that's Ryou? He don't really seem nearly as friendly as you said he was." Ron chimed in, keeping his voice just barely a whisper. Hermione glared at Ron before quickly looking at Ryou. They weren't that far away, but Ryou didn't give them a glance so maybe he hadn't heard Ron after all.

"It's been a rough night for him. The magical world is a lot for him to take in, don't you think?" Harry defended, but Ron looked doubtful. There really was no use trying to explain it to somebody who grew up surrounded by magic. Being thrust into it like Harry and Ryou had been, or anyone muggle raised, resulted in it taking over your mind as you tried to process that things you thought shouldn't be possible actually are.

"Just give him some time." He added as he looked at the back of the white haired kid's head and smiled.

0

Ron and Hermione did give Ryou some time, but the silence was becoming unbearable. They tried to engage him in conversation during their walk, but the white haired boy barely even gave them a glance so they didn't really push it. His silence eventually infected them until all four teenagers were following Kingsley without a word.

They walked into the train station following the auror as he led them to the boarding platforms of rails 9 and 10. Hermione gave the auror an inquisitive look when he suddenly stopped and just stood waiting. She caught the faintest glance sent Ryou's way and instantly she understood what he was waiting for.

"What's the hold up? Why aren't we –oof" Ron gasped as Hermione gave him a none too pleasant elbow to the gut. She gave him a look that just screamed 'keep your mouth shut'. Ron just looked confused as he rubbed his stomach and when Hermione turned away from the ginger, she found herself caught in the gaze of Ryou. She had to look away. His eyes gave her the chills. For some reason, Ryou wasn't really what she had been expecting when she heard Harry talk about him. She wasn't one to judge on appearances, but Ryou's gaze just gave her the chills.

"Our train may take awhile to get here." Kingsley was looking pointedly at Ryou, who just blinked at this new information and looked away from the group. Hermione quickly starting watching him again and had to swat Ron's hand out of the way when he started waving it in front of her eyes.

"Would you stop it?" She hissed under her breath.

"Well, what's wrong? Staring at him isn't going to help you know." Harry said as he looked at his brunette friend.

"Have you ever wondered why muggles never just stumble onto a certain Hogwarts related platform?" She asked, keeping her voice very quiet. Ron and Harry looked at each other and shrugged.

"Magic?" Ron offered and Hermione just rolled her eyes.

"Yes magic. A muggle repelling charm to be precise. And look where we are – where Ryou is standing." She said. Harry and Ron looked over towards Ryou and found him leaning quite casually against a brick pillar standing between platforms 9 and 10. His arms were crossed and he looked like he was lost in his thoughts.

Then he fell backwards through the wall.

"The train is here." Kingsley announced and he headed for the wall. Harry instantly headed towards the barrier to check on Ryou, but Hermione reached out and caught his arm.

"Harry. That's got to be enough proof for you. Ryou is no muggle." Hermione said, watching Harry look away with his eyebrows knit together. She let him go and the two followed Ron through the barrier.

Hermione had expected Ryou to be surprised and exhibiting the classic muggle-raised reaction to the magical platform. But he wasn't ogling at the magnificent black engine that just docked at the station, gaping that he just walked through a solid object, nor was he looking at the sign that read 'Platform 9 ¾ - Hogsmeade Station'. Instead he was leaning against the wall and looked a little annoyed.

Harry walked over to Ryou with an unsure smile.

"Ryou, you okay? I didn't know the entrance to the platform would just… open like that. You didn't get hurt on the fall did you?" He asked as he laid a hand on the other's shoulder.

"I didn't fall." Ryou replied without looking at Harry. "I merely staggered backwards, so there is no need for your little nurse routine." With that, he shrugged himself out of Harry's grip and headed towards the train. It was the only train there, so it had to be the one they were taking. Honestly, a little heads up that the platform was through a magical barrier he had been leaning against would have been nice. Fine, he would admit he was surprised it happened, but how dare they assume he had fallen down from something as trivial as falling through a wall.

Harry watched Ryou go. He didn't really know what to think.

"Has he had enough 'time' yet?" Ron grumbled as he joined Harry. Hermione was right beside him as they all stared at the door Ryou had disappeared behind.

0

Waiting for the train to actually leave the station was taking longer than the kids had expected and the room the teenagers were sitting in was unusually quiet. Ryou was leaning against the window, staring out at nothing wearing yet another thought filled expression. The trio kept exchanging glances and trying to start up discussions that died before they really began. Harry glanced at the door to their compartment where he knew Kingsley was standing guard right outside. Maybe Ryou wasn't as accepting of magic as he had initially believed. He looked back towards the whitenette, whose gaze was still locked on that window. When he and Ryou spoke in the hospital, Ryou gave the impression that he honestly thought Harry being a wizard was …well… cool. He was interested, excited even. Now he just seemed quiet and standoffish. Sure he had seen Ryou act like this a few times before, but never for so long. It was strange.

With a lurch, the train finally began to move. The four still kept quiet, but it was pretty easy to see how uncomfortable a silence it was. Well, it was uncomfortable for everyone except Ryou.

"So… do you think we'll get in trouble for sneaking out and all?" Ron finally said just to break that horrible quiet.

"Well of course we are. If we don't get a detention or two, I will be thoroughly amazed" Hermione was glad of the chance to talk. Unfortunately the discussion didn't go any further and their small vocal reprieve was lost to that suffocating silence. Then the trio turned towards Ryou as he let out a relieved sigh that seemed unusually loud due to the silence that surrounded them. Nobody had even realized Ryou had held his breath. As they stared, Ryou finally turned away from the window to look at the group. A pleasant smile graced his lips, making him appear like an entirely different person than the brooding kid he had been moments ago.

"You know, we haven't been properly introduced. I'm Ryou Bakura." He offered, blinking his surprisingly soft, brown eyed gaze as he looked at them all in turn. Harry was smiling at him, in a strange relieved way, but the red head was looking at him like he just grew a third head and the brunette just blinked.

"What, finally got tired of just ignoring us did you?" Ron barked and Harry instantly turned a glare in the ginger's direction. Hermione continued to watch Ryou as he looked straight down at his twiddling fingers with a remorseful look to his face. She ignored Ron and Harry's little quarrel and took this chance Ryou was offering them. She didn't quite understand why he had been acting so distant before, but he must have had his reasons. She wasn't going to waste this chance to break the tension.

"I'm Hermione Granger. That's Ronald Weasley." She said with a gesture towards the ginger that instantly swung his head around at the mention of his name. Ryou looked up with his big eyes and after a moment or two, he smiled again. A tiny little smile, but a smile nonetheless.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you" He said and this time Hermione smiled.

"We, both Ron and I, have wanted to meet you for awhile too. Harry has told us a lot about you." Hermione folded her hands on her lap and glanced towards Ron and Harry. They stopped their little argument and Harry gave his attention to Ryou. Ron just shrugged and looked away, apparently still a little bitter. Ryou picked up on this right away.

"I'm sorry if I came off as rude earlier…" He said quietly, looking towards Ron with a truly apologetic look.

" 'Came off as'? You did more than just— " Ron began to give his retort but was cut off by Hermione.

"Ryou, it's fine. Who wouldn't be a little on edge after being attacked by dark wizards?"

Ryou looked grateful for Hermione's words, and his face suddenly lit up as he turned to Harry.

"Right, wizards! You guys are real wizards and witches like in games and stories! So then are we in a special magical transport?" He asked, but after a blink and a pause, he continued on without waiting for an answer.

"A train. I mean… this train. Is it special?" This time he did wait for a reply.

"Not really. Only those associated with magic can find it though. So Ryou, you must have some magic in you since you fell through the barrier." Ron chirped in, more than happy to remind everyone about the other boy's fall from earlier.

"Barrier?" Ryou looked confused for a moment, but the look disappeared as quickly as it came.

"Oh…yeah… anou…" He glanced at the wall and his hand idly rubbed the back of his head.

"So Harry …. I guess this means you weren't being perfectly honest about going to that school your uncle told me about then?" Ryou finally said as he turned towards the black haired boy.

"What? Oh, yeah…sorry about that. The magical world is supposed to be a secret. I wasn't allowed to tell you about it, but I wasn't lying about the experiences we had at the school." Harry replied. He did feel a little bad about lying especially since he knew how much Ryou loved the occult. He looked at Ryou, who surprisingly enough was nodding.

"That explains why you were so vague on the details about the school's appearance than huh?" He said with a light chuckle.

With the initial tension successfully broken and Ryou much more sociable, the group began chatting up a storm. Mostly they just told Ryou about what to expect at Hogwarts and answering his multitude of questions about magic. Eventually the topic turned away from magic itself and Ryou became the focus of the discussion no matter how hard he tried to covertly change the subject.

"Seriously, how can you be magic and not know it? Plus you had a bunch of Death Eaters on your tail. They must have wanted you for some reason or another." Ron said as he fixed Ryou with a stare. Ryou looked away and shrugged.

"I honestly don't know why those wizards attacked me. I really didn't know magic existed like this. I mean, I suppose I hoped it did. Your magic sounds so useful and can do such good."

"Yes, magic can do a lot of good, but it can do a lot of harm too. I really doubt those dark wizards at the hospital had good intentions when they were casting their spells." Hermione really wasn't sure what to make of Ryou's story. He obviously wasn't a muggle, but he seemed so fascinated by the prospect of magic that she doubted he had ever seen it before. Perhaps he was a squib? But then, at least one of his parents would know about magic and most likely would have shown him. Unless he was a squib adopted by muggles.

"Ryou, what do your parents do?" She asked, just in case. She was perplexed by the subtle shake of the head Harry had sent her, but when she looked at Ryou he was still smiling.

"My dad is an archeologist." He said as he turned his head and stared out the window. He didn't offer any other words but those, choosing to instead lock his gaze on the small glimmer of light that was trying to break into the night sky by the horizon line. Hermione was about to mention she said parents, not parent, but Harry stopped her.

"Ryou, seeing as you're not a muggle… you might be able to do magic too." Harry said, even shushing Ron when the red head tried to question why the sudden change in subject. Ryou nodded, keeping hi s eyes focused on the outside.

"That would be neat." He said halfheartedly.

"I swear, you are one bipolar kid" Ryou looked over at the ginger with a vague look of surprise. He let out a small giggle that made the other three look at him funny, but Ryou merely waved them off.

"Sorry….inside joke." He said, which only caused him to giggle again. Inside joke indeed.

"Anyway, do you think I'll stay with you in your dormitory?" He asked as he looked at the other three who apparently lived in a place called the Gryffindor Tower. They had mentioned something about students being sorted into one of four different groups.

"I'm not sure. You're technically not a student, but our headmaster may decide to sort you into one of the four houses. Then you'll stay in that dorm." Hermione replied as she looked first at Ryou, before turning towards Ron and Harry for ideas. They honestly had no clue. Ryou hoped it wouldn't come to that, though he didn't voice this opinion. He was used to going to new places where he didn't know anyone, but it was still nice to have a friend or two beside you. Especially when they were the types of friends who didn't like to take over your body and attack people.

"Harry… you have a wand… do all of you have wands?" Ryou asked as he gave Harry a curious look. He hadn't really thought about it until now, but all the other wizards and witches he saw casting spells has used wands. Harry said his friends were magic, so they had to have wands too right? Unless it was a coming of age thing and magic people didn't get their magic sticks until they did something special, reached a certain age, or something along those lines.

"Yeah. We all do. Can't caste many spells without them really." He replied with a shrug. Ryou was delighted by this.

"Can I see yours? Are all wands the same?" He asked like an eager child trying to get his parent to buy him a brand new puppy. Harry just held back a chuckle and pulled out his Phoenix core wand. Ryou was hesitant about touching the wooden instrument, but after a nod from Harry he carefully picked it up and examined it.

"Wands are made from different kinds of wood, cores, and vary in length and style. See? My wand has a dragon heartstring at its core while Harry's has a phoenix feather." Hermione had pulled out her own wand and Ryou stared in fascination at how very different they were.

"Wait… dragon… dragons are real?" Ryou asked and Hermione instantly replied with a grin and a nod of the head. Ryou smiled as he digested this new revelation.

/I bet even Kaiba would get a little excited about that one. Dragon heartstring… that sounds much easier to obtain than a Bennu feather/

Ryou tipped his head just slightly. He couldn't see how a measly feather was harder to get than a dragon's heart.

/Yadonushi, do you know nothing of the Bennu bird? It is reincarnated through flames. Its body – feathers included – turn to ash during its rebirth./

"Then… how did they get the feather for the core? This one. You said it had a phoenix feather, but don't a phoenix's feathers disappear when they shed them?" Ryou asked as he held up Harry's wand and looked it over with new curiosity. He handed it back to Harry.

"I think the phoenix has to willingly give it up or something. I'm not really sure on the details on how a wand is made, so I can't be positive. I do know that the phoenix whose feather is in my wand only ever shed one other feather." Harry replied as he took his wand. Ryou stopped him as something caught his eye and he gently took Harry's hand. He turned it so Harry's palm was facing down.

"Harry….what happened?" Ryou asked as his fingers traced the thin white scars that marred Harry's hand. As soon as Harry realized what Ryou was talking about, he pulled his hand away.

"Nothing."

"That wasn't nothing. It looked like writing." Ryou fixed Harry with a steady stare that the green-eyed boy just couldn't meet. He hadn't told Ryou anything about Umbridge's detentions nor about the undeserved punishment she had forced on him.

"No. Ryou's right, It's not nothing." Hermione was also giving Harry a look. She had been telling him to tell the headmaster since the pink clad professor had forced Harry to carve the words 'I shall not tell lies' into his own hand with an enchanted quill.

"It doesn't matter. It happened over a month ago. I dealt with it, end of story." Harry crossed his arms and slouched in his seat looking every bit like the stubborn teenager that he was.

Ryou didn't bring up the scars again. He wasn't going to force Harry to tell him anything if he didn't want to. After all, Ryou was hiding his own share of secrets, wasn't he?

"So do either of you play Duel Monsters?" Ryou was looking at Ron and Hermione. Ron looked downright confused by Ryou's question and Hermione just shook her head.

"You duel… monsters for fun?" Ron finally asked in bewilderment. Hermione and Ryou both chuckled and even Harry broke from his sour mood and smiled.

"Duel Monsters is a trading card game. I've seen it in stores when I go shopping with my parents, but I don't really see the appeal." Hermione explained with a shrug.

"So it's a card game? How do you play?" Ron looked at Hermione when he asked the question but she just shrugged again.

"The cards have monsters on them. You put them up against your opponent's monsters, and the stronger monster beats the weak one. The weak monster is put out of play and the person's score goes down. First person to lose all their score points loses." Harry was the one who gave the summary. Hermione looked surprised Harry knew how to play and Ron was busy thinking over the concept of the game.

"I mean, it's not as simple as I make it sound. I've never played it either, but Ryou was telling me about it over the summer. It's a strategy game, right Ryou?" Harry looked towards Ryou for confirmation and the whitenette nodded.

"Yes. Strategy and a bit of luck will determine the winner. There are big competitions in the normal world. Duelists compete against each other, sometimes just for titles, other times for prize money." Ryou added with a smile. Ron was giving him a curious look.

"…. 'Normal' world?"

Ryo's smile dropped instantly. Had he said the wrong thing? Before he could correct this error, the train came to a stop. Ryou immediately turned his head to look outside and was greeted by sunlight trickling through the morning fog. He could see trees surrounding the outdoor platform. The platform itself was a small little brickwork station that resembled a large bus stop. He turned his head when the door to their compartment opened and Kingsley shepherded the group off the train.

Harry looked around expectantly, but apart from the small platform beside the train, there really wasn't much there. The trees were thick and there appeared to be a wide path through them. Behind him, the train whistled and took off towards its next destination, leaving Harry and his group along with a few other early morning travelers stranded in the woods.

"Come on." Kingsley said as he waved the group over towards the large path. They all followed without question and soon enough that path led straight to Hogsmeade village. They didn't stay long nor stop for any reason. Kingsley just kept moving, heading straight past all the shops on his way towards the road that led to Hogwarts.

"Figures. We have to walk through Hogsmeade and we can't stop anywhere…" Ron complained.

"As if anything is open yet anyway." Hermione noted.

Ryou was just watching everything he saw in amazement. The names on the shops were unusual and the window displays were fascinating. He wanted to stay and explore the magical town, but Kingsley never even slowed his pace. He looked behind him as the shops slowly disappeared into the distance before he focused ahead of him. Harry walked beside him and smirked.

"Just wait. You're going to love Hogwarts." He whispered. Ryou looked at him curiously and then the castle came into view. Ryou actually gasped when he saw it, pausing in his tracks to take in the sight. It was amazing, like it had leapt straight out of a fantasy book or a movie. It resembled one of the castle pieces he used in his Monster World table top game too. Harry chuckled and nudged him forward.

"Welcome to the school of Witchcraft and Wizardy."

0

Ron let out a loud yawn as he, Harry, and Hermione sat down for breakfast. They would have to be quick if they wanted a decent meal. Breakfast was almost over and classes would be starting in less than a half hour.

"Where have you three been?" A Gryffindor from across the table, Neville Longbottom, asked as he noticed his friends' appearance.

"Just getting a dose of Professor McGonagall chewing us out is all" Ron grumbled as he reached across the table and dove into the eggs. His brothers Fred and George snatched the eggs and just laughed.

"The day has only just begun, and you're already in trouble?" They laughed again, shaking their heads in unison as the trio just shrugged.

"Fred, we can't be outdone."

"You're absolutely right Fred. We must go stir up trouble immediately."

With that, the twins hopped up from their seats and left the room, taking the eggs with them much to Ron's displeasure. Harry smirked.

After they had arrived at the school, Professor McGonagall ushered them to the hospital wing to be completely checked over. Her worry only lasted for a few moments, for after Madam Pomfrey, the school nurse, deemed them healthy, the Deputy Headmistress released the wordiest of lectures the trio had ever heard from their head of house. Harry was slightly jealous Ryou hadn't had to stand there in the hallway listening to his Transfiguration teacher rant on and on about how rules were there for a reason, they shouldn't have thrown themselves in danger, they shouldn't be leaving the school grounds especially in the middle of the night, and how they all had a week's worth of detention. Hermione had said she felt their professor had actually gone easy on them. Ron disagreed.

By the time they were finally released from the barrage of words, the sun was already high in the sky and students were already eating in the Great Hall. Professor McGonagall told them to go get ready for class and that they could visit Ryou during their morning break between classes. Their fourth companion had stayed in the hospital wing to wait for the Headmaster. Madam Pomfrey had also decided to use the time to magically heal the injuries he had sustained during the attack on his school. Harry had noticed his friend had quite a few bruises and scratches and he had seen Ryou's bandaged arm, but he hadn't realized those bandages were covering some nasty looking stitches until the nurse revealed them. At that point, McGonagall shooed him and his other friends out of the room to let Madam Pomfrey work in peace.

All three Gryffindors were thinking about visiting Ryou as they tiredly shuffled to their first class of the day. It had to have been fate that the day they didn't get a single ounce of sleep was one of the days that started off with an hour and a half of History of Magic. If Harry had thought it was difficult to stay awake during Professor Binns lectures when he was well rested, he honestly believed he had no chance of staying awake today.

Not ten minutes into the lecture, both Harry and Ron were out cold. By the half way mark, even Hermione was struggling to stay aware.

0

Inside the hospital wing, Ryou was lying on one of the many empty beds. He was barely noticeable in the room thanks to his hair and the pure white blanket he had over him all the way up to his chin. Usually his near albino appearance made him stick out, but in such a white room he was almost camouflaged.

Ryou sat up, letting the blanket fall down a bit off his chest. He pulled his sleeve up to re-examine his arm. His fingers glided over the spot where just an hour ago he had had a deep most-likely scarring injury. Now his skin was smooth, like the stitches had never been there. It had been so strange when the nurse waved her wand over his cut, mumbling something. At first nothing happened and the nurse seemed to concentrate harder. Then, the wound just started to seal up and the stitches melted away. It was amazing. It wasn't long after that when an elderly man came to visit him. He kept their talk brief, insisting Ryou should get some sleep after such a harrowing ordeal. He explained he was called Professor Dumbledore and that he was the headmaster. He had asked Ryou a few questions about the attack at the hospital, but Ryou wasn't really able to give him much of an answer. He hadn't known who the people who attacked were, and he had no clue why they would be after him. Ryou's distress must have been obvious, because the professor placed a calming hand on his shoulder and told him he would be okay here. His words were reassuring and Ryou had felt safer in the man's presence.

/I don't like him./

"You don't like anyone, Koe" Ryou replied to the spirit of the ring as he leaned back against the wall. He looked up as the sound of the door opening reached his ears. Soon after, a familiar black haired head peaked into the room. Once the owner of that messy head of hair caught Ryou's gaze he smiled.

"Hey Ryou." Harry greeted as he headed in, followed shortly by Hermione and Ron.

"How are you doing?" Hermione asked as they reached his bedside.

"I'm fine. The Headmaster said I could shadow you guys in class when I'm better." He said with a smile.

"Really? That's great!" Hermione said with enthusiasm and Harry nodded. He was glad Ryou would be able to see the bright side of magic, especially since he loved the idea of it so much.

"What's the point though? You don't have a wand. You can't perform magic." Ron said as he sat on the bed.

/Hah! Can't do magic… he doesn't know what REAL magic is!/

"I won't be taking part in class. Just observing." Ryou replied, ignoring the voice in his head.

"I still don't see a point in it." Ron shrugged.

"I just want to learn more about magic, that's all. I like learning about it. Besides, I don't want to just sit in bed all day."

"Wait, you actually want to sit in a classroom and just learn stuff from a book?"

"Honestly Ron, just because you have no motivation to study…" Hermione rolled her eyes at her red headed friend. Sometimes she wondered how Ron managed to pass his classes.

"Did Professor Dumbledore say where you'll be staying?" Harry was genuinely curious. Ryou didn't belong to any house, and it didn't seem likely that he had been sorted. Especially since he hadn't come to Hogwarts to be a student.

"Yes. He said I could stay here, in the hospital wing." Ryou replied with a gentle smile. He turned to look towards the door again as someone entered. The boy looked young and was looking around expectantly, and once he saw Ryou, he froze. Instantly he turned and left. Ryou frowned.

"That's the third kid to come in here like that." Ryou said as he looked at the entrance to the room. Harry snickered and Hermione sighed.

"Well, looks like your arrival to Hogwarts won't be a secret for much longer." Harry said as he glanced at the door. Hermione folded her arms and laughed.

"Much longer? With the way gossip flies around this school, everyone already knows about him." Ron nodded his agreement to Hermione's statement, but the nod of approval quickly became a groan of disdain as the female of the group alerted them to the time.

"Come on guys. We've got to get to our next class. See you later Ryou." She offered with a wave in Ryou's direction.

"Oh boy…potions…" Ron grumbled in a sullen tone as he stood. Ryou said his goodbyes as the trio headed out the door.


	14. Castle Tour

Ryou Bakura stayed in the hospital wing for the first few days he was at Hogwarts. As the week steadily progressed, more and more students faking illness or injury came wandering in. Ryou really wondered how a kid could fake vomiting that often, or how a piece of candy instantly rid them of their fevers, but after each case, the nurse just scolded the children and sent them on their way. It got to the point where the nurse drew the curtains around Ryou, blocking him from curious eyes. Just as expected, word spread quickly that he was blocked from view…almost as quickly as the rumors about his presence at the school in general. The curtains did little to stop the flow of students, but at least Ryou was offered some privacy.

It was Sunday by the time Madam Pomfrey decided he could finally get up and explore. She had wanted to make sure his arm was completely healed up as well as to keep him out of the way of the students who weren't trying to spy on their guest and actually do some learning at this school. Now that it was the weekend, it wasn't as big of an issue if he distracted the students.

The curtains surrounding his bed parted and a green eyed boy peeked in along with a freckle-faced ginger.

"Morning Ryou." Harry greeted.

"We came to bust you out" Ron added with a smirk.

"Bust me out? I guess those curtains are pretty reinforced" Ryou giggled as he finished buttoning his gray shirt and placed his folded borrowed Pajamas on top of his already made bed.

"Blimey. You're a neat one, aren't you?" Ron commented as he watched Ryou smile and blush just the tiniest bit.

"Come on. The first thing we're going to show you is the way to the Great Hall for breakfast. Just stay close to us on the stairs…they like to move." Harry said with a grin as he pulled the curtains all the way back, revealing Ryou's bed to the rest of the world for the first time in a long awhile.

"What likes to move? The STAIRS?" Ryou's eyes were wide with excitement as he followed the two boys out of the room.

0

The boys talked excitedly on the way down to the morning feast. Most of the time was spent laughing at Ryou's utter fascination with each and every moving picture frame. The white haired boy greeted every new face he passed, and considering most of the halls were lined with pictures, it was safe to say Ryou said hello more times in 10 minutes than Harry had in his whole life. But as soon as they entered the Great Hall, Ryou fell quiet. The beauty of the room and the magic laced through it was lost to the boy upon seeing the massive body of students. At first it was just a few people looking up at the sound of the door opening, but a few quick whispers and everyone's attention was on the white haired boy without school robes. Ryou blushed and stayed close behind Harry as his glasses wearing friend led him over to the Gryffindor table. Harry sat Ryou down so his back was to the other three houses. He knew from experience how uncomfortable unwanted attention could be.

"It's like they've never seen an albino before" Ron said as he sat down across from Ryou and Harry and instantly reached for some toast, ignoring the silent staring of his fellow Gryffindors.

"I'm not albino. My eyesight is fine." Ryou sighed quietly as he looked down at his plate. He didn't want to look up and see people staring at him. For this reason, he didn't see Ron's baffled expression.

"But Harry said your hair was natural. Only albinos have white hair." Ron said with a nod, as if Ryou's stark white hair made any and all arguments null and void. "Besides, what does being albino have to do with your eyes?" He added with a quirk of the eyebrow. Another Gryffindor plopped down beside him, laying a book beside her plate.

"Actually Ron, not all people with albinism have white hair. A better trait to identify someone with albinism is by checking their eye sight since all people diagnosed with albinism generally have some sort of vision impairment that varies depending on the type of albinism." Hermione smiled at Ryou as she reached for some pancakes to put on her plate.

"There's more than one kind of albino?" Harry hadn't known that. Then again, it wasn't like he researched this type of stuff.

"Okay then. If you don't have … albinisiyism, then why is your hair that color?" Ron looked pointedly at Ryou and waited for a reply.

"The melanocytes in my cells don't recognize the Keratin in my hair." Ryou's answer was smooth and without hesitation, but the only one who really seemed to comprehend what he just said was Hermione. She had nodded in understanding while Ron and Harry just kind of gave him a dumbfounded look.

"So….you … don't eat enough carrots?" Ron asked as he tried to figure out what exactly Ryou just said. The whitenette chuckled lightly and decided to give them a simpler response.

"It means for some reason whatever gives hair its color doesn't realize that I have hair, so it doesn't color it." Ryou explained as he at last reached for some food for his own plate. This light hearted discussion was a great way to get rid of the awkward tension that filled the room upon Ryou's arrival. Now the normal chatter of a school filled the hall and Ryou didn't feel so out of place. Well, not as much as he had anyway.

"Why hello there!"

Ryou jumped slightly as something popped out of the wall. A transparent figured floated through the table and turned to face the Gryffindors with a smile.

"Hey Nick. This is Ryou. Ryou, this is Nearly Headless Nick, the ghost of Gryffindor." Harry smirked as he glanced towards Ryou, their resident occult fan. He wasn't disappointed. Ryou's face lit up and he stared at the ghost with obvious awe.

"It is a pleasure, my good man. I am Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington" Nick began, "And do my eyes deceive me, or am I seeing double?" He added as he looked at Ryou with a whimsical smile. Ryou looked confused, an expression shared by the golden trio as well, and the four teenagers looked around quickly to try to spot what Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington was talking about. They all returned their questioning gaze to the ghost, who looked just as confused as they did.

"haha, well clearly it was the former. I suppose being denied to join the Headless Hunt yet again has had a stronger effect on my stress levels than I thought. Well, good day to you." The ghost smiled and tipped his head – literally – before floating off. Hermione had looked away as soon as Sir Nicholas gripped his head, but Ryou was absolutely enthralled by the nearly decapitated ghost's display.

"Sorry if he freaks you out Ryou… Sir Nicholas does enjoy showing off his…wound." Hermione said as she finally turned back towards Ryou. She was surprised to see her apology was completely unnecessary.

"No, no. I think it's really cool. Are there other ghosts at Hogwarts?" Ryou asked with a cock of his head. Harry, Ron, and Hermione nodded and gave Ryou a quick briefing of the different ghosts he might encounter. They made sure to include which ghosts were best avoided…like a certain trouble making Poltergeist. By the time they had finished answering Ryou's questions, breakfast was over and the small group was walking out of the Great Hall.

"Did he really dump a bucket of water on you? I guess that means ghosts can interact with… oh." Ryou stopped as he caught sight of a small cluster of yellow and the occasional bit of blue blocking the door. The Hufflepuff students shuffled their feet and cast curious yet nervous glances Ryou's way. Finally one plucked up enough courage to step towards the group of Gryffindors plus one.

"Um…are you... by any chance Ryou Bakura?" The young boy, most likely a first year, asked as he looked up into Ryou's soft brown eyes, than quickly down to his feet. Ryou hesitated a moment, wondering why the wizard in training was looking for him.

"Yes. I am." He said and at his words the Hufflepuff looked up with a bright smile.

"I'm a big fan. Have been since I first saw you duel. I'm muggle born you see, and I watched you compete in Battle City. When I told my classmates about you, they didn't believe me. They didn't think there was a chance you'd be here, you see, and the others don't know the game so they didn't really care. But it really is you! Just wait until I tell my friends at home that I met you. THE Ryou Bakura!" The kid sputtered. He looked up at Ryou again with a shy gaze before thrusting out his hand rather stiffly. Ryou shook it and the kid turned and bolted towards the waiting Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. The loud whispering and looks were instant and Ryou was glad they were leaving the room.

"What the bloody hell was that about?" Ron asked as they headed down the hall. Ryou blushed and focused his attention on a painting.

"Apparently I have a fan here. I honestly didn't expect anyone in a wizarding school to know me." He replied, but that didn't really answer Ron's question.

"Remember that game he showed you on the train Ron?" Harry decided to step in. At Ron's nod, he continued. "Well Ryou's really good at it." He said with a shrug. Ryou's blush deepened and he rubbed his hair.

"…not really." He mumbled and Harry just rolled his eyes.

"You were in a commercial. You placed in a worldwide tournament, didn't you?"

"Yeah but – "

"Commercial? Ryou that's fantastic!" Hermione smiled at the flustered duelist, but their praise only increased his embarrassment.

"Fantastic? Now what-"

"Exactly, is so fantastic?"

The twin voices of a set of identical redheads caused Ryou to spin on the spot. He blinked in surprise as he looked at the gingers, who for some reason of another reminded him of Ron.

/They're his brothers Yadonushi. Four eyes said the Weasel had many siblings./

Ryou blushed yet again at the reminder from a voice that had been surprisingly quiet lately. He almost forgot about the spirit's presence in his mind.

Almost.

"Oh, bugger off you two. We're showing Harry's pen pal the castle" Ron said as he shooed the older boys. The twins just seemed highly amused by their younger sibling's actions.

"The last thing we need is for you two to fill his head with nonsense. And don't try using him as a guinea pig for your ridiculous experiments either." Hermione interjected as she folded her arms. She disliked the gleam the twins had in their eyes as they looked over a potential victim…friend.

"Pen pal? Oh my gosh. Do you know what this means Fred?" Asked one of the twins as he turned to his mirror image. Fred nodded as he pushed Ron aside and stepped closer to Ryou.

"I do indeed brother. This must be the one and only— "

"Are-You!" They ended the sentence together and had cheesy smiles on their faces that actually made Ryou uncomfortable. To make matters worse, they each leaned on his shoulders.

"So Are-you, you're the one our dear Harry's been sending secret love letters to."

"I must say, I thought you'd be a girl. But who am I to judge a person's tastes? … You're not a girl are you, Are-You?"

Ryou's cheeks were a new level of red as he tried to string together a reply, but between the smirking twins and the laughter echoing in the back of his mind from a rather unhelpful mental roommate, he wasn't having much luck.

"I told you two, we weren't sending love letters. And his name is pronounced 'Re-you', not 'Are-you'." Harry sighed. He couldn't decide whether or not to be angry or amused.

"Well then, my apologies Reee-you" Chuckled Fred as he straightened himself up and ruffled the boy's white hair. Ryou reached up and tried to stop him in the politest way possible, which was by holding his hand over his hair as a deterrent. Luckily this was enough to get Fred to back off… or the red head was just finished messing up his already messy hair. Who really knew?

"Anyway, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Fred." The red head said as he moved back a step and bowed his head in mock respect. His brother pushed him just slightly.

"Hey, would you stop doing that? You're just going to confuse the poor kid. I'm Fred, not him." The second twin announced as he stood tall.

"Oh that's just nonsense. If you're Fred, then what's my name?"

"You're George."

"Oh that's right! I must have forgotten."

Ryou's head jerked back and forth as he followed the conversation. He just didn't know what to make of these two. His head was already starting to hurt and even with their introduction he still didn't know which twin was which.

/If you'd like Yadonushi, I can get rid of one. Then you'll only have to learn one name./

"So, Harry, can we get on with the tour?" Ryou asked hurriedly as he stepped closer to the black haired fifth year.

"Oh, yeah. Sure." Harry said as he started walking on passed the Weasley twins. "See you guys later." He added as he waved at their disappointed and totally fake frowns.

"Nice meeting you both." Ryou said quickly as he hurried by.

"Don't let them get to you. They're specialty is annoying people, but it's all in good fun…I guess." Ron said as he walked beside Ryou. They had only walked a few steps before the twins shouted their goodbyes down the hall.

"Oh be careful Reeee-you"

"A certain lady in pink is wandering the halls. We'd hate-"

"if you were to get kicked out of Hogwarts-"

"Before we could have some fun first."

"So try not to let those three drag you into trouble."

Ron rolled his eyes and Harry seemed annoyed for some reason. Ryou glanced back at the snickering red heads that were already disappearing around the corner. Was that supposed to be some kind of warning or were they just messing around? It was pretty obvious that they were jokers. No. The more important question was how in the world they could talk in sync and finish each other's sentences so perfectly and consistently without a break.

0

The group continued to tour the castle unheeded. The gossips they passed were unavoidable but easily ignored and Harry was careful to steer clear of the most common Slytherin hangouts. No need to give Ryou a bad impression so soon. By the time lunch came and went Ryou had met many of the ghosts that called Hogwarts home and had walked through numerous halls. Harry only stopped when he saw Ryou looking out a large glass window. He followed his white haired friend's gaze and found himself gazing down at the courtyard dusted with a thin, fresh coat of snow.

"I'd show you the courtyard, but it's not exactly the warmest out right now so we'll save that for later." He said, causing Ryou to look up at him and nod. Although the robes Harry, Ron, and Hermione were wearing seemed quite warm, he had left his own coat back at his bed in the hospital wing. Still, even this indoor view of the school grounds sparkling under the ice crystals that hugged each blade of grass was impressive. Ryou looked out the window for a second longer before stepping back and smiling at his tour guides.

"So, where to next?" He asked, but the Hogwarts students did not get the chance to answer. A light 'hem hem' sound came from behind the group. Ryou instantly turned around in surprise but the other three just sighed and faced the source of the sound with slumped shoulders.

Ryou was a little taken aback by the amount of pink this woman was wearing. He instantly blushed and felt rude for staring, deciding instead to lock his eyes on the floor. This must have been the lady the twins had warned them about. The woman was looking over him with a scrutinizing gaze too, which only heightened Ryou's anxiety.

"Good afternoon children. I see there is a new face wandering the halls. That child must be the … I'm sorry dear, are you a boy or a girl?" The woman batted her eyes and cocked her head in a show of false curiosity. Harry was positive all the teachers had been told about a 'young boy arriving at Hogwarts to recover from a magical accident.' He was disgusted when she acted surprised at Ryou's announcement that he was, in fact, male.

"I see. How unusual for a little boy to look so very much like a little girl. Now, mister Potter." said the pink clad witch as the finally took her eyes off of the flushed face Ryou and stared intensely at Harry.

"The child that was brought in should not be wandering the halls. A muggle should not even be here at all. Now take it back to its room like a good boy so that the magical world does not overwhelm the poor thing. We can't have things like that just lying around in our halls, causing problems for people." She said with wide grin, ignoring the fact that Ryou was still well within earshot. Ryou of course did not say anything in reply and kept his eyes locked on the floor. He had been wondering on and off throughout the day if it was okay that he was at Hogwarts. Clearly it wasn't.

"Professor Umbridge, ma'am, the nurse said Ryou was allowed to explore since he has fully recovered from his encounter with a Dementor. It was the first time he had seen them." Hermione quickly explained, stressing that Ryou could see Dementors. Even Dolores Umbridge would know only the magical could see them. There was no need to add fuel to her fire and mention anything about Ryou's lack of magical education or that Death Eaters were after him -especially since she seemed so adamant in her beliefs that the world was full of pink rainbows and fluffy kittens that couldn't hurt students, not Death Eaters and an evil dark wizard formally known as Tom.

"Miss Granger, I believe I was talking to Mr. Potter. Now then Potter dear, if you have anything to say, speak up properly." The witch's reply was sugar coated ice and she only glanced at Hermione for a moment before staring Harry down, just waiting for him to give her something to use against him.

"Well, if you insist on my opinion ma'am, then I think Ryou can do whatever HE pleases. HE has magic but it seems the ministry overlooked him, which is why HE wasn't prepared when Dementors decided to knock on HIS front door. It is a true shame that he still won't be able to learn anything to defend himself despite the fact he's in a school." Harry was bitter with his tone, and his indirect insult at Professor Umbridge's teaching methods as well as the ministry she served so loyally did not go unnoticed. She pursed her lips just slightly and narrowed her eyes.

"I tell you now Mister Potter, the ministry's system is flawless. If there was an issue than it was entirely the child's fault, not the Ministry's. I thought by now you had learned your lesson Mister Potter. You must not tell lies." Although the pink toad's voice was still sickly sweet, it was easy to hear the threat in her voice. Harry stared straight back into her beady little eyes, never faltering in their staring contest.

"Come on Harry. Let's just go to the common room." Ron offered as he motioned with his head to move down the hall. Hermione gently touched Harry's shoulder and at last Harry turned to go, leaving Umbridge with a satisfied smirk on her face.

"I believe I said to take it to its room."

Harry froze midstep and spun around. He had had enough. It was one thing to torture him during class, but she was not going to insult Ryou so openly, talking as if he were a thing rather than a person. He opened his mouth to speak but the very person he was about to defend stepped in front of him with his hand out, stopping Harry in his tracks.

"Wait. Harry, she's right." He said, earning four dumbfounded looks in his direction. The professor's face instantly melted into an accomplished smile as she looked at Ryou. Scarily enough, Ryou gave quite the pleasant smile back.

"I am new to this whole magical world and I shouldn't be annoying the students with any questions. Somebody who has little experience with magic really shouldn't be wandering around so freely without an adult to supervise them and make sure they don't touch something that could cause trouble. You must be a brilliant teacher. You were the only one to really bring attention to this, so clearly our safety is your priority." Ryou didn't seem offended in the least by Umbridge's behavior towards him, and his own reasoning as to why he shouldn't be wandering about made much more sense than the professor's half baked excuse. He smiled once more at the teacher before turning to look at Harry.

"Besides. You told me before that the common rooms are for students of that specific house only. I am not in any house, so I am not allowed to enter them. Rule breaking isn't something I want to do, so let's just go back to the hospital wing." He gave that smile again, so unfitting for the situation. Even Umbridge wasn't sure if she had won a complete victory here or if something else was going on. Eventually she decided on the former and her face just glowed with triumph.

"Please don't let me delay you any longer, madam. We will leave for the hospital wing right away, no detours." Ryou added as he turned towards Umbridge and gave a deep bow. As usual, bowing had a strange effect on people unfamiliar with Japanese culture. It was a stroke to the pink toad's over inflated ego, just as it had been when Ryou bowed to the older Dursley. The woman in pink giggled and nodded.

"Good lad. Off with you then." She said with a too happy smile before turning to leave. Ryou gave a polite 'yes ma'am' and one more bow. Harry, Ron, and Hermione could only watch in silence, sending saddened glances Ryou's way. To their surprise, they watched Ryou's face go from a true obedient smile to an angry frown in a split second. Ryou glared at the professor's back as she walked away from them. You could see the disgust in his sharp brown gaze.

"Woah. Faker much?" Ron said aloud as he stared at the drastic change in Ryou's expression. Ryou instantly smirked at that and gave Ron a short, deep chuckle.

"When you're faced with a pest like that pink wart, the better route is to tell them what they want to hear rather than give them the ammunition that will ruin you." Ryou grinned at the red head and glanced back down the now empty hall. His grin disappeared as quickly as it came and he looked down at his shoes, fidgeting. His face was swiftly turning red from an intense blush.

"Besides…teachers should be obeyed. Y-you know, since they're the authority in a school." The boy's words were genuine despite the contradiction they offered to his previous statement. Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged confused looks and turned their baffled expressions in Ryou's direction.

0

After their encounter with Professor Umbridge, Ryou insisted he should go back to his place in the hospital wing, if anything to avoid getting the trio into trouble. While Harry had no doubt that pink toad would use Ryou as an excuse to give them all detentions, he wasn't the type to just bend to someone else's orders. He would have been more than happy to completely ignore Umbridge's ridiculous demands, but Ryou was quite adamant about staying in the hospital room. He couldn't really argue with the whitenette. What was he supposed to say? Ignore that old bat and let's keep going? Well, shockingly that didn't really work.

As soon as they group returned to the Hospital Wing, Ryou sat on the edge of the bed and glanced towards the wall.

"If you're that nervous about wandering around the school, we'll just stay with you in here." Harry offered, earning a 'what?' from Ron who was promptly elbowed in the chest by Hermione. She nodded and said she was more than happy to stay too. Ryou just shook his head.

"No no, it's fine. You guys can go and do what you want. I… I'm feeling a little tired anyway. I guess I'm not as fully healed as I thought." Ryou said with a fake smile. Hermione frowned but didn't question it. Ron wasn't very helpful since he was smiling.

"Right. We won't bother you then. Feel better Ryou." Chimed the ginger. Ryou nodded and tried to give one more convincing smile to Harry and Hermione before pulling back the bed covers and lying down. Even then the others were hesitant to leave, but after Ryou failed to respond to them, they finally headed out of the room.

Time ticked by as Ryou laid there wide awake, staring at the freshly drawn curtains.

/Yadonushi, I know you want to explore the school. You cannot hide your thoughts from me./

Ryou sighed and just tugged his blanket a little further up.

"I don't belong here, Koe. That professor even said so. The teachers don't want me here and the students keep staring at me funny." Ryou mumbled as he rolled over, causing the golden ring that linked him and the spirit together to slide across his chest.

/You act like that's different from the way your life has always been./

Ryou flinched at those words. The spirit was right and it hurt to acknowledge that. He had always been the odd one out, the third wheel, the one that didn't quite fit in.

/Yadonushi, rise and explore the castle. The pink wart will not catch you as long as I am with you./

Ryou thought about the spirit's offer in silence. This wasn't the first time the spirit told him he'd protect and help him, but he knew by now that there was usually another motive behind the spirit's actions.

/You wound me, Yadonushi. Can I not act out of the kindness of our heart?/ The voice said with a chuckle. His insincerity was not lost on Ryou, but the boy chose not to comment on it.

"I already told them I was going to stay here. I don't want to go back on my words." Ryou closed his eyes and tried to will his body to go to sleep even though he wasn't tired in the slightest. He could feel a tiny trickle of irritation coming from the spirit's soul room. Irritation aimed at him, no doubt. That was fine. Ryou wasn't important to anything nor anyone. If he wasn't there, life would go on and might even be better for the people he came in contact with… so what did it matter if people hated his existence?

/….Yadonushi…. your pity party is disgusting./

0

"Good god mate, he said he wanted to sleep!" Ron rolled his eyes as he grabbed a piece of chicken from the platter right in front of him. Harry just shrugged as he absently picked at his own dinner.

"Yeah, but I feel like he was just saying that." He admitted. He glanced up at Ron who was still happily eating after spending the previous hour practicing Quidditch.

"If he wanted to hang out with us, he would have, so stop thinking about it." The ginger said after swallowing one last bite and staring at Harry. Hermione sighed and laid down her fork.

"Ron's right Harry."

"I am?"

"If Ryou really wanted to come with us, he could have. I know it seems like we should have stayed with him even though there was no reason for him to stay cooped up in that room, but he probably was tired. It's been a long day, he's been confronted with a wall of new things, and he only just recovered from..." She paused and glanced left and right before quickly whispering, "being attacked by Death eaters." Her words hung in the air as Harry sat there in contemplation.

"Besides…you went and played Quidditch in the snow. I doubt he would have enjoyed that anyway." She added.

"Hey! Quidditch is amazing. And the grass is barely even white. That so doesn't count as snow. Ryou, like everyone normal, would LOVE Quidditch." Ron defended and Harry finally cracked a smile and bit into his food.

"But seriously, that is one weird kid. I really don't know what page he's on half the time. First he came off as kind of a rude little git, then he was all nice and …well… Neville-ish, and now he plays suck up to the local abomination pretending to be a teacher." Ron shivered as he thought about it. How could anyone agree with that woman's twisted logic, especially when she refused to even call Ryou a 'he' ?

"Ryou said he doesn't like to go against authority, you heard him." Harry reminded.

"Yes, but he also said he told the professor what she wanted to hear." Hermione glanced at Harry nervously, but Harry just shook his head.

"He's not the type of person who starts trouble, trust me. When I was talking to him over the summer, he'd occasionally get cocky or pushy, but it's not anything to make a big deal out of. You guys both have your moments to." Harry grinned at his friends, who both seemed a bit affronted at his jab. Hermione blushed and looked away while Ron just huffed and took another bite of chicken.

0

" Hey. Hey Harry." A few minutes after their discussion about Ryou, Neville and a few other curious looking Gryffindors sat down at the table.

"Hello Neville. Dean. Seamus." Harry greeted as he looked at them with a mix of intrigue and wariness.

"That kid from breakfast and lunch you were hanging around with… the one with the white hair… we just were curious. Who was he? I mean, we've heard really different rumors, but since you talked to him and all…" Neville began as he fidgeted with his robes.

"The whole school knows he's staying in the hospital wing, but nobody knows the details. Except you. It's always you, right? So come on, you've got to know why he's here." Seamus added as he looked at Harry.

Harry blinked in surprise. He had a feeling he'd get questions about his white haired friend but not this quickly. He let his shoulders slump and put on a semi-pleasant smile.

"Ryou's a friend of mine I met over the summer. He…attended muggle school for awhile, but… it was in the papers. A school got attacked by witches and wizards. Ryou got caught up in it and was treated here." Harry decided to summarize instead of giving up Ryou's whole story. There was no reason to explain everything.

"Muggle school? If he's a muggle, why didn't they treat him at a muggle hospital?" Seamus crossed his arms and gave Harry a disbelieving look.

"He's not a muggle" Harry shrugged. He'd leave out that Ryou was being chased by Death Eaters. No need to put more spotlight on him, or raise questions nobody could answer.

"Then why was he at a muggle school?"

Harry paused and looked over at Dean.

"I…don't really know" He admitted. So much for avoiding the un-answerable. He glanced at Hermione, remembering her different possible excuses as to why Ryou had never been sent a letter to attend a magical school. It really was a mystery.


	15. Monday Classes

It was early on October 14th when Ryou awoke, wrapped up tight in his sheet and being prodded in the head repeatedly by some outside force. He made a soft groan as he slowly opened his eyes and blinked away his bleary vision. It took a moment for him to focus. A familiar glasses wearing black haired boy was smiling down at him, fully clothed in wizarding black robes.

"Come on Ryou. Today is your first day of classes." Harry straightened himself up and chuckled as Ryou finally pulled himself into a seated position.

"Wha? Classes?… Classes! Your principal said I'm allowed to shadow you!" Ryou finally snapped awake and slid out of bed. Harry snickered and nodded.

"He's called the headmaster, but yeah. Come on. Everyone else is already getting breakfast."

Ryou quickly fixed his bed, making it neat and tidy before throwing on an old dingy robe borrowed from the nurse. It wasn't the nicest looking thing to wear, but it was thick, warm, and clean. Ryou also liked that it made him fit in just a bit more with the students here.

"You know what? The Hogwarts uniform suits you," Harry said as he looked Ryou up and down. Ryou smiled and soon the two were heading off towards the great hall.

0

Eating in the Great Hall this time around was a much more enjoyable experience for the non-student. Sure his hair still caught people's attention but at least he wasn't wearing street clothes in a sea of uniforms anymore.

"So, Mondays aren't too terrible in the mornings. First period is for napping, then we get a break. THAT'S when the true terror starts," Ron explained through a bite of pancakes. Ryou didn't quite understand what he meant.

"There's a class for napping?" He finally decided to question his concern and Harry just snickered.

"It's History of magic. The class is just a little on the incredibly boring side for most – "

"By that he means ALL," Ron injected.

"people," Harry finished with a silent chuckle, finding Hermione's glare at Ron far too amusing. Not that she could argue with them. Even she thought the class was just a bit dull.

"I swear, if I hear one more thing about goblins…" Ron mumbled, but just the word 'goblins' was enough to make Ryou excited about the class. Even if Harry and his friends didn't care for the history behind their magic, he thought the subject sounded absolutely entrancing.

/ It won't be nearly as 'amazing' as the history you've already delved into, will it Yadonushi?/

Ryou blinked and cocked his head as he thought about that. After learning about Koe's presence in the ring, he had the urge to figure out more about him and the ring's origins. He sought the knowledge partially because he was genuinely curious, and partially to find information to try to control the spirit…

/Hahaha. You will find no such knowledge no matter how hard you search for it./

Ryou didn't really have a reply to that, and he didn't have time to think of one. A sound jolted him from his mental conversation and he looked up to see a slightly confused expression on Harry's face.

"You alright mate?" Ron asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"Yes, I'm fine. Why?" Ryou put his hands on his lap and started fidgeting. Did he miss something? Did he say something out loud that he shouldn't have?

"You didn't answer. I asked if you wanted to learn how to fly during the morning break." Harry repeated a question Ryou honestly hadn't heard at all.

"Oh I'm sorry Harry, I was just thinking about….did you say fly?" Ryou's brain just came to a screeching halt. Fly? Him? As in, him flying in the air?

"Yeah. It's pretty easy really. Do you remember that game I mentioned when you asked me what my favorite thing to play was?" Harry asked. Hermione seemed surprised, though Ryou couldn't fathom why. He didn't even know why Harry was bringing this up now, but he gave a small nod.

"Well… it's actually played in the air. On broomsticks." He said with a devious smirk. Ryou's eyes widened as he thought back. He didn't remember all the details about it, but now he could definitely understand why Harry seemed to love it so much. It was a magic sport. For magic people.

"But… what if I can't ride a broom? Can anybody ride a broom?" Ryou asked with an unsure voice.

"Everyone at Hogwarts gets in the air eventually. Don't worry, it's not like we're just going to throw you out a window on a broom. You start on the ground." Harry smiled and had a spark of excitement in his eyes. Ryou didn't know what to feel. Flying would be amazing. Falling, not so much.

"But what if I DO somehow manage to get in the air, but then the broom stops working and I fall or I can't get it to stop or I crash it or – " So many things could go wrong.

"Blimey, you're worse than Neville! Seriously mate, flying ain't that big of a deal." Ron shook his head at Ryou's rambling as he finished up the last of his breakfast.

"Oh stop acting like you weren't nervous your first time on a broom, Ronald," Hermione scolded. She gave Ryou a more reassuring look, but kept quiet. She was genuinely curious to see if Ryou could fly to. After all, to command a broom, a person needed some bit of innate magic in them…otherwise the broom just wouldn't listen.

0

Unsurprisingly, Professor Binns did not notice the extra head in his class, just as he never noticed the missing or sleeping ones. Harry genuinely tried to pay attention this time around since Ryou was with them, but that planned failed within ten minutes. Honestly, there were more games of hangman in his notes than actual notes. He had just finished a particularly long game with Ron when he turned to Ryou to ask if he wanted to play the next round.

But Ryou's eyes were locked on the teacher.

Harry was utterly amazed. A half hour into class, and the undead teacher still had Ryou's attention. Then he chuckled quietly to himself. Undead teacher…no wonder.

The whitenette glanced at the raven haired teen playing little games with the ginger. He had been correct when he told Ryou this was going to be a boring class, but not because of the content. The ghost hovering at the front of the room just had one of those voices that screamed 'ignore me'. It was irritating in its own way and had he not been dead, the non-student in the room may have killed him just to end the annoying sound of his voice.

But he wouldn't do that. Not when the ghostly fool was just spewing information on wars and how foolish this other magic was. Bakura kept his attention on the specter, adding the occasional useful bit of tactics and information amongst the useless dates and names to his mind in case he ever needed the information. If there was one thing he had learned as a young thief growing up in Egypt, it was that knowledge was power. If he ever had to fight these watered down mages, he would have the advantage of knowing how they think and work.

Still, this ghost's ramblings were threatening to put even the great thief king to sleep, just as they did to his Yadonushi.

0

"Ryou, I've got to say, I'm impressed. You struggled at the end there, but you made it." Hermione smiled a huge approving grin at Ryou who just followed after her with confusion in his eyes.

"…did I do something?" He asked and Harry cracked a smile too.

"Yeah. You stayed awake. Bravo. It's not something many people can do." Harry laughed and Ron nodded in agreement. Ryou however turned pink.

"Oh. .. anou…I… I didn't really stay awake though…honestly." He gave a tiny shrug and rubbed the back of his head with his hand.

"I did feel bad. I mean, I do want to learn more about the war between the giants, but I don't know. I just got so sleepy…" A sudden thought came to Ryou that made him pause in his steps, but he quickly pushed it aside and kept walking. Nobody noticed the hiccup in his pace.

"Well then mate you do a blimey good job of pretending to pay attention when you sleep then." Ron gave the kid a lopsided grin. Since he fell asleep in class, he couldn't be as weird as he originally thought.

"I'll stay awake next time. I will. I promise." Ryou's tone was apologetic but Harry and Ron just laughed.

"Ryou calm down. The only person who doesn't close their eyes for half the class is Hermione," Ron jeered, earning a glare from the brunette.

"Now come on, this will be loads more fun than a history lesson." Harry waved Ryou over to a door. When he opened it, Ryou had to shield his eyes from the bright sunlight streaming down onto the school grounds. When he finally adjusted to the difference in light, he looked around. There was a small shed outside by the school and a large stretch of grass that led to a dark forest.

"This is where the first years learn to ride. I … doubt anyone will mind if you borrow one of the school brooms…" Harry said as he pulled out his wand and aimed it towards the school.

"Accio Firebolt. Alright, now the only thing you need to do to ride, is you have to want to ride. Simple as that," Harry explained as he pulled one of the older model brooms from a stack in the shed. Ryou was about to ask what Harry had meant when he said 'Accio Firebolt'. It sounded like some sort of code of some sort. But before he could ask, something flew by his head and straight into Harry's hand.

"Woah," was all Ryou could say. It was a broomstick, that was for sure, but it just flew in from nowhere. Literally.

"Here. Just… tell the broom to come up," Harry instructed as he placed the school broom down on the ground beside Ryou. When he let go of his own broom, it hovered in the air a little below hip height. Ryou was too busy staring at the hovering broom to talk to his own and Harry just smiled.

"Ryou. Trust me, they're more fun to ride than to look at," He said as he stood beside his dark bristled broom waiting for Ryou to start. Ryou blushed and looked at the broomstick at his feet.

"You know what, maybe this isn't such a good idea," Ryou mumbled as he cocked his head at the collection of wood and straw that was supposed to hold his weight high above the ground.

"There's nothing to be scared of Ryou. Trust me." Harry finally mounted his own broom, proving that brooms could indeed fly and that they could apparently support a teenage boy with ease.

"Oh don't force him, Harry. It's alright if you don't want to Ryou. Flying isn't that amazing anyway," Hermione said as she walked over to the pale faced boy.

"Not amazing? Without flying, there would be no Quidditch. What else could be more important than Quidditch?" Ron looked at Hermione like she was crazy, and like a mirror, she returned the look.

"Oh I don't know, how about school work? Books? Not falling off a broom and breaking your neck trying to dodge a flying cannonball?" She had a sarcastic bite to her tone as she crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, there are other things to do besides throw a ball around on a broom." She finished with a nod. When she looked at Ryou, the boy seemed to really be contemplating something. He whipped his hand out over the broom and without even saying a word, it flew into his outstretched hand.

"Harry… can you teach me how to play Quidditch?" He asked, his eyes lit with interest.

"It's official then. No boy is immune to the disease that is Quidditch-itis." Hermione adjusted a book under her arm and walked to a small bench by the wall to read in peace. The other two boys were grinning in triumph.

"So I just sit on it…and what?" Ryou asked as he cautiously straddled the broom. He smiled to himself as he realized how funny he must look right now…wearing a robe and sitting on a broomstick just like in the stories. He giggled at the imagery.

/You are far too easily amused./

Ryou just giggled harder, smiling excitedly at Harry and Ron's quirked eyebrows. The spirit was probably excited about learning a new game too. Learning a new wizard's game.

/Oh yes, I'm BURSTING with excitement/ replied the voice with clear sarcasm in his bored tone. Well, even if the spirit didn't care about Quidditch, Ryou would appreciate it. He took a breath and hopped up. He landed softly back on the ground while the broom displayed its amazing ability to be a normal household cleaning utensil.

"Picture yourself in the air. Trust the broom." Harry instructed as Ryou's giddy smile finally faltered. Harry's broom had already been floating, so it was obviously going to be easier for him to get air born.

/Perhaps they gave you a normal broom for laughs, Yadonushi. It IS rather amusing to watch you fumble about attempting to fly./

Ryou fully frowned this time around and gazed intently at the handle of his broom. Harry would not do that. He took another breath and closed his eyes. He decided to picture himself in Monster World, flying above the hand painted castles and lakes bordered by dark, plastic woods. He imagined wind blowing through his hair and had to brush a strand aside as it slipped into his mouth. His thoughts froze at the motion, and he opened his eyes. Harry smiled at him, clapping his hands. Slowly, Ryou turned his gaze downward at the ground a good three feet below him. He snapped his head back up and closed his eyes again.

"Trust the broom. Trust the broom." Ryou repeated this mantra over and over again until he felt a tug on his sleeve that made his whole body jerk and grip the broom tightly.

"You're barely off the ground, mate."

Ryou turned his head to look at Ron standing casually beside him without any broom of his own. He seemed to find Ryou's anxiety hilarious.

"Come on Ryou. It's not scary once you get used to it." Harry called down from ten feet above. Ryou tilted his head back to look up at the flying Gryffindor, amazed that his friend not only felt comfortable riding a piece of tree ten feet off the ground, but that he was still climbing higher in the sky, and fast.

"Oh come on. Up!" The ginger called out beside Ryou as he gripped the neck and tail of Ryou's broom and gave it a hefty push upward. Ryou's entire body tensed as his broom rose high above the ground, but in a single moment his fears were forgotten. He blinked as he gazed at the castle beside him, sitting calmly next a beautiful blue lake with the thick forest surrounding it. This time however, the sight was real. He smiled at the beauty of it all. Carefully he urged the broom to move slowly forward and it obeyed.

/Play around all you want, just don't fall./

"It's…okay, Koe." He said softly, slightly touched that the spirit cared in his own way.

/… The body will be useless to me if it's paralyzed./

Ryou bit back another smile and turned to look at Harry as the boy pulled up beside him with practiced ease.

"You like it so far?" He asked and Ryou gave a quick nod. "Just wait until you're zooming across the sky. Come on. Let's go higher. You can't even imagine what the world looks like when we're actually above the castle." Ryou stopped and stared at Harry with just the tiniest amounts of panic in his gentle eyes. His voice came out in a tiny squeak.

"Higher?"

0

The morning break wasn't exactly long enough for Ryou to really grasp the whole flying thing and they never actually got a chance to bring out the Quidditch supplies. Harry assured Ryou he did decent for a beginner and Ron and Harry spent the walk to their next class explaining the general idea of Quidditch since they couldn't show him.

"Oh yeah…welcome to the dungeons. Home of the worst classes and worst students in the entire school," said Ron as they reached the bottom of one last flight of stairs. The walls were dark and the air felt slightly damp. Ryou wondered if they were near the lake.

"What do you mean? You don't like the next class?" Ryou asked with a tip of his head.

"Not in the slightest. Figures the head of the Slytherin House would teach one of my worst subjects. In the dungeons too. Suits the little Slytherin gits who live down here though." Ron seemed to be lost in a mini rant and Ryou frowned at him. He didn't approve of his blatant prejudice towards the Slytherins. Sure he hadn't really had much contact with anyone besides Harry, Ron, and Hermione, but he was sure the students wearing green weren't nearly as bad as Ron said they were. Luckily the red head didn't see Ryou's disappointed frown and the group of four followed the crowd into the potions room.

Ryou didn't care what Harry and Ron said about the class being horrid. He still couldn't stop himself from looking around the room, staring curiously at the strange items sitting on the ingredients shelf. Did that label say hair of unicorn?

"Ryou, you can share my station." Harry was setting his textbook down beside a heavy looking cauldron. Ryou walked over and looked at it with wonder, thinking about all the magical things that could be brewed within. He shuddered, though he couldn't explain why. His brow nit in confusion and he swore he felt something coming from the mental link between him and the spirit.

"Just so you know though, Professor Snape doesn't like anyone except Slytherins, so talking during this class only gets us into trouble." Ron broke Ryou's focus on his mental occupant and he looked at the ginger with a simple nod. So this class had a strict teacher. That was okay. He could just sit quietly and read the text book or something while the others worked. He had already read quite a bit of Magical Drafts and Potions when he was sitting alone in the hospital wing the past few days. Potions reminded him a bit of cooking. If the measurements weren't precise or the ingredients added in the wrong order, it could ruin the potion completely. But if done correctly, a witch or a wizard could make potions with incredible powers.

Ryou found the subject fascinating.

Just as the class finished taking their seats, the door swung open and a dark haired man with a sour expression walked into the room. He walked with meaning, fast but with purpose, and with a wave of his magic stick, the chalk at the front of the room instantly began scribbling on the board. The man wasted no time as he reached the front of the room and turned to address the class.

"Since you all did so miserably on last class's assigned potion, today you will be brewing a simple sleeping draught to help you remember what, exactly, the scales you've brought to class are used for. The instructions for those of you who cannot recall your first year shall be written on the board. You should take no longer than one hour and forty minutes. Begin immediately."

Ryou watched in surprise as students instantly, yet quietly, moved to grab ingredients and get to work. Still, Ryou was confused by one thing the professor had said. He leaned towards Harry and Ron as the duo squinted to read the tiny scribbling the potions master had written on the board.

"But… I thought this class was only an hour and a half long." Ryou's voice was innocent and quiet, but in the silence of the room it seemed incredibly loud. Harry barely turned to look at Ryou before the greasy haired professor was upon them. Ryou gasped and sat up straight, finding it difficult not to fidget under the man's gaze.

"Ah yes, you must be Mr. Bakura, the latest ward of the castle, taking up one of the beds in the hospital wing. I was told you would be following Mr. Potter for the day. It is unfortunate that you most likely won't learn a thing watching these two." The professor cast a glance at Harry and Ron, the first of which glared back at the professor while the second sloppily laid out the collected ingredients. Snape's eyes flickered over the ingredients before returning to Ryou, but Ryou's attention was also on the collection of plants and bottles. Without breaking his gaze from Ryou, Snape used this opportunity to test the two Gryffindors.

"Mr. Weasley. Why not take this chance to tell your shadow what ingredients will be used in a common sleeping draught." At last the man turned away from Ryou, content with the flinch his voice brought out of the white haired child, and looked at the red head expectantly. Ron grimaced as he looked at the collection on his desk.

"Um…well, there's some…crushed herbs….flobberworm mucus…and lavender…" Ron mumbled as he looked at the table. Ryou bit his lip, wondering if he should speak up. He glanced up at the teacher, silent as ever and with a strangely smug face, then at Ron and Harry who just seemed uncomfortable.

"Anou…that…isn't lavender. It's Aconite…isn't it?" He finally spoke up as he pointed at the bluish purple plant lying on the desk. "And don't you also need Valerian Sprigs for a Sleeping Draught?" he added, his voice soft and quiet.

Ryou suddenly found himself under the surprised gazes of three sets of eyes and he instantly looked down at his shuffling feet. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe wizarding plants had different names then normal plants… Ryou couldn't help but think he should have just kept quiet.

"Well well. It seems your tag along knows more about potions than you fifth year students. Had you added Aconite, for that is indeed what you have grabbed Mr. Weasley, you would have surely melted your cauldron with toxic waste." Ron turned his gaze to the colorful flower in shock. He grabbed the plant and immediately went to switch it out. Both it and the proper plant were a blue-purple color… how was he supposed to know which was which?

Ryou sighed in relief as the professor moved on, but watched him curiously as he walked away. The man was intimidating, yet at the same time Ryou felt proud of himself for earning the vague sorta-praise the professor had offered him.

"Ryou, had did you know? That that wasn't lavender…and that we were missing ingredients?" Harry's whispered voice brought Ryou's attention back to his friend and he blushed.

"I read the sleeping draught chapter in a book Madam Pomfrey let me borrow….and I've used lavender to cook before, so I knew what it looked like," he replied sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head and looked at the lavender flowered stalks Ron had returned with.

"If I recall, the sleeping draught uses four stalks of lavender, crushed together with a standard mix of herbs, two drops of flobberworm mucus, two pinches of herbs, three pinches of your crushed mixture… then you've got to brew it…" Ryou recited the instructions as if he was reading a book. He smiled as he thought about it. It reminded him of his roleplaying games, where in order to gain good armor and weapons you had to craft them with set ingredients. He used some mixtures in his games often enough that he just learned to memorize things like this. It also helped that a certain spirit seemed to have experience with deadly potions. He wondered about it sometimes. The spirit of the ring had actually talked to him a little when he was reading the potions book. At one point he even said the book was wrong and suggested an entirely different ingredient than what was listed.

"Then add four sprigs, stir, and you're done." Ryou finished with a smile, returning to the real world and finding the stunned faces of Ron and Harry staring back at him.

"You want to make my potion?" Ron asked, only to receive a heavy whack to the back of his head courtesy of a leather bound book.

"Mr. Weasley, do your own work. I won't tolerate cheating in this class." Snape said as he looked down upon the ginger with obvious distaste. The potions master turned to the blushing Ryou, silently re-evaluating the white haired stranger. Ryou decided to stay quiet for the rest of the period.

0

"I still can't believe you have that potion memorized…. That's just weird. And it's totally not fair that old Snape wouldn't let you help." Ron stretched his arms up high over his head, glad to be out of the dungeons after brewing for so long. On the plus side, this was possibly the first time he and Harry had ever successfully completed the potion without it turning the wrong color, smoking, or smelling downright horrible.

"It's a first year potion, Ron. It's not exactly that complicated to know," Hermione injected as she caught up to the boys. She offered Ryou a smile as they went up the stairs.

"Yeah, not complicated for you maybe," Ron mumbled. Ryou smiled lightly at the banter of the three students, listening contently as they walked to the great hall. They had so many magical stories to tell. Even though they were mundane things for them, routines and common occurrences, to Ryou they were things straight out of a story book.

0

Lunch was rather uneventful. Thanks to potions running late, they missed the first 15 minutes of their lunch period, but it wasn't too bad of a loss. Most of the food was still there, hot and steaming, and the pitchers of pumpkin juice never seemed to run dry. After eating his fill, Ryou started to wonder what Harry's next class would entail.

"Just a warning Ryou, our next class is a little…let's just say the professor is a character. Don't let what she says affect you too much," warned Harry as the rag tag group of teenagers finished up their lunch.

"The subject is a farce. She rambles about nothing and has no clue what she's talking about."

Ryou looked up in surprise, mainly because the last person he expected to criticize a professor let alone a school subject was Hermione.

"What class is it?" He asked.

"Divination. You know, like predicting stuff and palm reading." Ron was busy stuffing his face full of chicken so his words came out a little slurred, but Ryou didn't really need a definition anyway.

"Divination? It's taught here? That's proof! It must be real if it's taught at a school. I always liked studying it even though most people don't believe in it. It was like some type of magic that even I could practice..." Ryou said with a grin. He chuckled to himself shortly after. "Actually, I guess it isn't like magic. It is magic."

"You studied it, Ryou? Why?" Harry looked at his friend, and Ryou was surprised Harry couldn't guess the answer himself.

"Seeing into the future and talking to the dead? Predicting your fortunes by reading into your past? Interpreting dreams? I think it's a fun study. I'm particularly fond of tarot. I used to try to read my friends back home all the time," replied Ryou. Hermione rolled her eyes as she returned her attention to her food.

"It's utter poppycock. I'm sorry Ryou, but you won't learn a thing in that class of nonsense."

/looks like miss know-it-all is no good at divination. I bet that's a major hit to her ego./ The voice in Ryou's head seemed confident in the idea that Hermione only disliked the subject because she was bad at it. Ryou however didn't think Hermione was the type that would just dismiss a school subject due to lack of skill. She seemed much more like the type that would keep trying until she mastered it completely.

/You think way too highly of people, Yadonushi. Just accept that everyone has a little bit of darkness in them somewhere./

"Hello, Hogwarts to Ryou. You sure space out a lot." Ryou blinked rapidly as Ron waved his hand in front of the whitnette's face. Ryou blushed as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Sorry. I got lost in thought," he said with an apologetic look.

"Ugh. Another thinks-too-much. At least with Hermione, it's only hard to get her attention in the library," Ron said, earning him a scolding look from the mentioned brunette.

"Oh, so sorry that not everyone lacks the ability to think things through instead of just running about on impulse like you," Hermione chided as she locked her jaw and began stuffing her books into her bag.

"Good thing they have separate classes next… I don't really want to get into this fight," Harry whispered to Ryou has Ron tried to come up with a worthy comeback but only succeeding in proving Hermione's point, which she instantly pointed out.

/The oaf clearly can't think before he speaks. / The voice's commentary was unnecessary and Ryou did his best to ignore him.

"Well, it's almost time for class anyway. You ready to go?" Harry asked as he stood up and waited for Ryou's reply. Ryou nodded as he placed his fork down and swung his legs over the bench. He looked at the plate guiltily, knowing the creature called house elves would take care of it, but hating leaving a mess for others to clean up. Harry and Ron had teased him about his concerns about this already. He forced the thought from his mind and focused on the next class instead.

"Oh, if Hermione doesn't like Divination, does that mean she has a free period?" Ryou asked as he stood, looking at Harry curiously.

"Hermione has the fullest schedule possible. She's taking a different class." Harry looked at Hermione who gave a curt nod. She decided her argument with Ron was going nowhere fast, so the best option would be to just stop replying.

"I'll be going to Ancient Runes," she said, smiling pleasantly at Ryou. Her smile was gone the instant Ron opened his mouth.

"Oh yeah, that sounds fun… looking at a bunch of grimy little doodles and trying to get meaning out of them. Nobody uses runes anymore anyway… so if you REALLY want to point at a useless subject…" Ron trailed off as he finally placed his last chicken bone on his plate and rubbed his hands on his robe.

"Actually Ronald the study of Runology can be very useful. It helps us understand the past, among other things… and considering what we're learning right now, I can bet your brother is glad he knows his runes," Hermione replied with a hmph.

"Why would any of my brothers need to know how to read pictures?" Ron gave Hermione a look, and the frizzy haired girl cracked a one sided smirk.

"Egypt has runes everywhere Ron. Even in the tombs to warn travelers of upcoming danger. Curse breakers need to know what to expect when they're wandering around, so naturally they know how to read Egyptian Runes." Hermione was wearing a truly confident smile now – a sign of her victory over Ron's argument. Ron didn't have a rebuttal, but luckily he didn't have to wallow in his defeat for too long.

"You're studying Egypt right now?" Ryou's little voice broke through Hermione and Ron's debate and Hermione gave him her full attention.

"Yes. It really is a fascinating subject," She said, keen to make at least one person understand just how wonderful a subject it really was.

"If you like spending a whole class studying pictures of lines and dots…"

Ron's mumble was ignored and Ryou walked over to Hermione.

"Would you mind if I came along? To your Ancient Runes class?" Ryou was hesitant and nervous about the request. He was much more comfortable with Harry than he was with Ron and Hermione, but he was just too curious to see how the magical viewed Egypt. Koe was completely silent on the matter.

"I don't mind at all, Ryou." Hermione was delighted by Ryou's choice to visit a class that actually taught something rather than a class filled with useless babbling about Harry's death. Ryou smiled.

"You sure Ryou?" Harry was confused by Ryou's choice to go with Hermione instead. He had seemed excited about Divination class… but then, he knew Ryou was also a big Egypt enthusiast. Ryou nodded at Harry, wearing a shy smile. Harry noticed it was the same smile Ryou wore whenever he was going to do something he really wanted to do but only if it was okay with everyone else and didn't inconvenience anyone. Harry smiled.

"Alright then… we'll catch up after class."


	16. More Lessons

Ron and Harry sat in the Gryffindor common room, more than a little excited that Divination had ended early today. That class wasn't exactly consistent. Sometimes it was a race to make it to their next class, other times they had time to kill.

"I swear, it all depends on if Professor Trelawney wants to give you a short or long prediction of your doom," Ron chuckled, though Harry wasn't as amused.

"Well, not really, but…you know." Ron shrugged a bit and leaned back into the fluffy red chair in front of the fire. Seconds later the two boys heard excited chattering steadily growing louder. The door guarded by the painting of the fat lady swung open, revealing a frizzy haired brunette speaking rapidly to an eager little white head.

"Especially the part about the treasure thief of Khem. You really believe another thief discovered the hidden entrance, years after Rameses the third passed on? I didn't see anything about that in the writings."

"Most of the history from that time period was destroyed. That's why the passages jump ahead a few hundred years without a single word on the missing Pharaoh's reign. But if you look at the reports about the pyramid, it was completely empty when the archeologists finally broke the seals and entered."

Ron and Harry looked over to see Ryou being guided by Hermione to sit on the couch. Neither Ron nor Harry had a clue what the two were rambling on about, and honestly, they had very little motivation to find out.

"But to get through all those traps, when even the original thieves of Khem failed. That must have been a skilled group."

"Probably. But enough about him. There were so many exciting stories in that class. It was fun reading them from a different perspective." Ryou smiled politely and at last seemed to notice Ron and Harry. He offered a wave, but didn't get a chance to speak. Hermione seemed ready to burst with news and she was instantly jabbering about their Ancient Runes class.

"Harry, you never told me Ryou was so skilled at reading ancient hieroglyphics! He didn't even need a reference book or anything. Not only did we finish translating the assigned chapter in record time, but Professor Babbling was so impressed, she let us try our hand at translating the main tablet in the front of the room!" Clearly this was a big deal to Hermione, but as Ron and Harry had never taken Ancient Runes, nor had any desire to, they didn't see why is was so great that Hermione had been assigned extra work. Hermione took in their blank stares and just rolled her eyes as she settled down.

"The tablet was being translated by Professor Babbling herself. By letting us look, it meant she trusted our interpretations skills. A lot," She huffed as she plopped a stack of books down on the table.

"Cool. I guess. So Ryou, I take it you liked the class?" Harry turned to Ryou who had busied himself with one of Hermione's ancient runes books while she updated them on the class. He quickly put it down and nodded.

"Oh yes, but mainly because it was focused on Egypt today," He said, knowing Harry understood his fascination with the subject. "Hermione and I finished the class work so fast, we decided to go to the library and read about Egyptian history."

Ron just gave the white haired boy a dumb founded look after hearing that sentence.

"You went to look at scribbly markings and read history stuff for FUN?" He seemed disgusted by the idea and Ryou hesitated, wondering if he had offended the red head in some way.

"Don't mind him, Ryou. Ron's opposed to any kind of learning," Hermione announced as she frowned at the ginger. He had never appreciated a good textbook and she was sure the idea of reading something valuable such as history was the furthest thing from his mind. Unfortunately, her attempt to ease Ryou's sudden discomfort didn't seem to work. Luckily Harry was there to change the subject.

"I knew you knew a lot about Egypt, but I didn't know you could read the runes too," Harry said, his tone praising as he looked at his friend. Ryou blushed.

"Oh, a friend of mine taught me some. He's a native to Egypt and pretty much lives in the pyramids, so he's fluent in the language, both spoken and written," Ryou explained. He actually had two teachers, but the spirit of the ring didn't really teach so much as read and interpret the words for himself. Having a shared mind did let Ryou pick up on a thing or two over time though. Malik guiding him through the basics was a massive help in learning the language, but even the resident Egyptian couldn't translate hieroglyphics as well as someone who could have possibly carved some of those ancient writings himself.

"You've got Egyptian friends? My brother works in Egypt. Around the pyramids too," Ron stated as he glanced at Ryou.

"Oh, does your brother know the Ishtar family?" Ryou asked. Part of him was more curious if Ron's brother knew his father. Maybe worked with him? But Ron knew Ryou's family name was Bakura and he didn't say anything about it before.

"Ishtar? Uhh…it…sounds vaguely familiar, I think. Honestly, I don't know anyone my brother works with. I kind of zone out when he starts talking about them," Ron said with a shrug. It's not like he ever expected to meet someone at Hogwarts who had friends in Egypt that his brother might know. Seriously, what were the chances?

"Sorry to cut this conversation short, but we've got to get to Defense Against the Dark Arts. Ryou and I only stopped here so I could drop off some books," Hermione cut in as she quickly scooped up her books and headed up into the girls' dormitory.

/Dark Arts? Now there's a class that actually sounds like it could hold my attention./

Ryou opted to ignore the interest resonating from the spirit of the ring and took this chance to look around the room.

"Oh right. Ryou, welcome to the Gryffindor common room," Harry smiled as he spoke, watching as Ryou's eyes lit up with realization.

"This is the secret Gryffindor room?" He asked just as two familiar figures leaned on either shoulder. Ron and Harry's small gasps were drowned out by twin voices.

"Bringing him in here without telling him where here is? Well, aren't you a strange friend."

"Really. And Ree-you. You shouldn't be so trusting to just follow this lot wherever they go."

Ryou turned to his right, prepared to come up with some sort of rebuttal, but his words died in his throat when his eyes caught sight of Fred's face (or was it George?) a mere inch from his own.

Ryou just blinked at he stared dumbly at the grotesque demon like appearance that was glaring at him with deadly intent. Were the horns growing from his forehead real? He instantly reached up to touch them and give one a pull. It was real! The twin on his other side busted up laughing, causing Ryou to look over. George (Fred?) was also disguised with what should have been a frightening monster face, but Ryou could only stare in amazement. The masks looked so authentic! This type of magic was wonderful.

"Wow. So much for him being an easy scare, ay Fred?" George finally calmed his chuckles and grinned at Ryou.

"Are you mad, walking around like that? What did you DO to yourselves?" It appeared Ron finally found his voice. A small, startled yelp from the stairs also announced Hermione's return to the room. The twins just laughed again as they pulled out their wands and tapped one of the horns on their faces. Their appearance morphed back to normal, the monster like flesh sucking into the tapped horn before falling off into a waiting hand.

"Halloween is just two little weeks away."

"So we figured we'd get a head start on the scare fest."

"Oh, but we've stumbled across a challenge, haven't we George?"

"I believe you're right. Ryou here didn't even gasp at our latest insta-monster masks!"

The twins were talking back and forth, staring at Ryou between them with clearly impressed gazes. Ryou had a bad feeling about this and was more than a little relieved when Harry pulled him away from the diabolical duo.

"Sorry guys. We've got to go sit through brainwashing class," Harry called as he gently pushed Ryou in the direction towards the door. The twins cringed and shook their heads.

"Tis a shame mate. If that woman didn't already have it out for you, I'd say just skip it."

"But I'm sure that pink miser won't let that slide, will she?"

Harry gave the twin a one sided smirk before heading out the door.

/…The oversized flamingo is teaching this 'dark arts' class? Fuh. So much for it being interesting./

"You never know. Maybe she's better at teaching than…" Ryou murmured under his breath, though he trailed off as the other students walked over to him.

/Than what? Socializing? She doesn't seem to like four eyes either. You pick the worst people to hang out with./

Ryou frowned and kept walking, trying to let Ron's complaining about their next class drown out the spirit. It wasn't working too well. Besides, the spirit was pretty much insulting himself too since he was with Ryou too.

/Hah. I said the people you pick are terrible./

Oh that's right. Ryou didn't pick the spirit. It was a mental invasion. A stroke of bad luck on Ryou's part. And yet, Ryou continued to wear the cursed ring. He snapped out of his thoughts just in time to hear the end of a question directed towards him. He nodded and followed the others into the classroom, feeling just a bit guilty for ignoring them for the entire walk there.

The three Gryffindors fell into a strange funk once they entered the classroom. Their moods just turned sour. Even Hermione's. Ryou's confused look was pretty much ignored as the students settled into their seats. Seconds later, the click of hot pink high heels filled the room and a high pitch voice called the attention of the class.

"Wands away, children. And Mister Potter. There are no pets in my classroom," Professor Umbridge chattered as she turned her beady little gaze directly upon Ryou. Harry's initial confusion and second long glance skyward was quickly replaced with pure ire. His fists clenched and his posture tensed completely. Umbridge stood smug, waiting for his explosion, but a soft hand landed atop Harry's. Harry looked over at Ryou, who just shook his head no. He opened his mouth to argue, but Ryou cut him off before he could dig himself into a hole with the shovel his professor had so readily provided.

"With the utmost respect madam, Headmaster Dumbledore—" Ryou didn't get to finish whatever he was about to say. The professor in pink was going to make sure of that.

"Professor Dumbledore is not the one in charge of this classroom. I am. And in this classroom, I will not teach those who are unqualified," She barked, like a little Chihuahua in a frilly pink handbag. The classroom was completely silent, and most dared not even look in Ryou's direction. Ryou shrank back a bit and for a second seemed ready to just run away fast, but then something lit in his eyes and he regained his composure.

"Oh yes, I suppose I can just go outside the classroom. Alone. In the castle. Without anyone to watch me at all. I'm trustworthy."

Ryou's smile was so sickeningly innocent, it was hard to tell if the sentences he just spoke were genuine or sarcasm.

"…On second thought, have a seat in the back corner of the room. I can't have you getting in the way of the real children's studies, but I suppose it would be irresponsible to leave you unsupervised… " Umbridge decided with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"Oh yes, completely understandable." Ryou bowed as he spoke before he gathered himself up. He brushed Harry's hand aside when the black haired boy tried to tug Ryou back down in his seat and quickly settled himself down in the back, alone. Well. Sort of alone.

/You're doing it again, Koe. You're not usually so ... cooperative./

The white haired boy merely smiled as he leaned his head against his hand. He liked that there was an entire empty section of the classroom between him and the other students. He also enjoyed the frustrated look on four eyes and his posse's faces when he just took all the blatant insults from the hideous pink mortal, wearing his Yadonushi's infectious little smile. There was no greater mask than his host's face.

Ryou blinked quickly as he found himself back in control of his body. The spirit of the ring switched places with him a lot more frequently yet for a much shorter time than he used to. Ryou wasn't sure if he liked that it was starting to feel normal to have another being in control of his body. No. He didn't like it at all. Still, it was better than being unconscious and completely unaware for weeks at a time because that same other being decided to take your body for a joy ride, taking down your friends in the process.

/Now now Yadonushi, I didn't go for a 'joy ride'. Remember, I originally took control to grant your wishes./

Ryou frowned and bit back a bitter laugh. Ryou had wished he could play with his friends forever when he was young and had just received the ring. He didn't mean he wanted his friends to have their souls sucked out and placed into game pieces to be literally played with.

/Well you should have been more specific, dear little Yadonushi/

The spirit found the situation far too amusing for Ryou's liking. True, after encountering Yugi and the spirit of the Pharaoh he holds within, the spirit of the ring hadn't made any new soul dolls. But the fact that he still laughed and joked about it was unsettling to say the least. Ryou had experienced first hand what it's like to have your soul forcefully removed from your body. It isn't exactly a pleasant experience…made even worse when your soul is sentenced to the ice cold hell that is the shadow realm.

/…and it's not something we'll experience again. Now pay attention to the class. That noisy pink pig has already started to squeal. Perhaps we can learn something about the dark arts they keep speaking of./

The spirit was right about one thing. Dwelling on the memories of his imprisonment in the shadow realm shouldn't really be a priority. Not when there was a new type of magic to be learned.

0

Well, he had hoped he would learn.

/All that hot air that damn balloon spewed, and not a single ounce of usefulness. /

Ryou shrugged. "I thought the class was interesting," He admitted. The students around him just gave him a skeptical look as they headed out of the classroom, and Ryou made an effort to avoid the gaze of the teacher he knew was settled on the back of his head as he left the room.

"How could that class have POSSIBLY been interesting?" Ron asked in utter befuddlement. Ryou blushed a bit and stumbled through his reply.

"Even though she seemed pretty biased… and was throwing around a lot of propaganda… she did bring up a few good concepts," Ryou said as he fidgeted with the hem on the sleeve of his borrowed robe.

"Pretty much every word that comes out of her mouth is nonsense. Plus she doesn't actually teach defense. I don't know how you saw anything that counts as concepts in that lecture," Harry spoke quietly and softly, trying his best not to embarrass Ryou, but unable to accept that Umbridge gave out even a shred of useful information.

"But you see, just a few days ago, the idea of centaurs and werewolves were just part of games to me. To find out they actually exist somewhere in the world…" Ryou's face had taken on a slightly dreamy expression. Harry snickered. He should have known that was what Ryou meant.

"Don't believe what she says about them. We've met both centaurs and werewolves. They were quite kind and acted like any other members of society….not savages like that so called professor would have you believe," Hermione chipped in as they walked to dinner.

"Oh that's good to hear, though I did have a feeling that was the case," Ryou said with a nod. He decided to leave out the fact that he had a spirit that was offering rude commentary during the entire class. Every time Professor Umbridge had brought up something remotely related to Egypt, such as the criosphinx or the ouroboros, Koe was quick to ridicule her inaccuracy, which called into question the rest of her self-proclaimed facts. Usually Ryou disapproved of the spirit's mockery, but half way through the class, even he was suppressing a smile every now and then. Who knew he could learn so many interesting non-life threatening things from the spirit of the millennium ring?

"But one thing is odd to me. Why are vampires and werewolves considered 'dark arts'?" Ryou asked, truly confused.

"They're only part of it. The other part is actual spells, but god forbid we learn magic at a magic school," Ron supplied with just a hint of sarcasm and resentment in his voice.

"Was there something in particular you were expecting to hear about?" Hermione questioned with an innocently curious expression. Ryou instantly regretted bringing it up.

"…anou… I don't know. Shadows are kinda dark, right?" he muttered as he once again began to fumble with the hem of his sleeves.

"Dark arts isn't literal, like magic that's darker colored. Dark arts generally refer to magic that is used to cause harm, or dangerous creatures that are used in the creation of dark spells, potions, and items. That's why we're supposed to learn how to defend against it. Usually the professor teaches us spells we can use to protect ourselves in case the worst happens." Hermione was always prepared with a good definition, and she looked at Ryou to make sure he understood.

"Oh, I see. I just wish I could see the spell part of the class too. I haven't really seen any spells since I got here," Ryou commented, though he didn't expect the trio to make anything of it. That is, until he noticed they had paused behind him. He turned around and looked at them with concern in his eyes. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sharing a meaningful glance that held zero meaning to Ryou. Hermione gave just the subtlest of nods and Harry faced Ryou with a wide grin.

"Ryou… let me tell you a secret…"

0

Ryou couldn't believe it. Magical coins, a hidden room that only appears to those who need it, a secret club that meets routinely to practice spells… it was straight out of a fantasy novel! Harry had told Ryou he couldn't give away any of the details, but he had invited him to come watch a student only defense against the Dark Arts training session, and Ryou's excitement about seeing real wizards practicing real, not malicious magic was overflowing.

/Calm yourself, Yadonushi. Your internal squealing is nauseating. /

Ryou chuckled as he buried himself in his covers, trying to get some sleep before Wednesday.

"Koe, I thought you wanted to see this type of magic too," Ryou said quietly, but the spirit of the ring didn't offer a reply. Ryou had a feeling the spirit was purposefully tuning him out. It only made Ryou smile a bit more as he closed his eyes.

The spirit glanced down at his host body, lying warm and content, wrapped up in lousy white sheets. The insubstantial thief turned and walked through the curtains draped around Ryou's bed in the hospital wing and let his narrow brown eyes fall on a face peeking in from the door. Blonde, slicked back hair and a young wizard's robe accented with green. It wasn't someone his Yadonushi had met before, but he had apparently earned this boy's attention. The spirit started to head over, invisible to the world and as physical as any other ghost, but the boy turned and left without a word.

0

Ryou's second day of classes started off with a class called charms. The professor, a short man by the name of Flitwick, was delighted to have Ryou attending his class. He was truly welcoming to the boy and treated him as if he were a true student of Hogwarts. Any questions were welcomed, even if they weren't about the lesson for the day, but Ryou didn't take advantage of his kindness. He chose instead to read the book and watch the students work. Charms were really interesting. Ryou had a feeling that if he had been a wizard like the students surrounding him, he might have been pretty good at charms. Even Hermione had praised his pronunciation of the spells.

Then came transfiguration. The professor for this class was much more stern and intimidating than Professor Flitwick. Although she didn't make Ryou feel unwelcome, she didn't go out of her way to make him feel welcome either. Still, her lesson was fascinating and Ryou didn't even hear the snickering of Ron and Harry when they pointed out how rapt Ryou's attention was when Professor McGonagall began transforming armadillos into pillows.

"Halfway through your second day as an honorary Hogwarts student. What do you think? Would you come here if you had the choice?" Ron asked as he walked beside Harry, Ryou, and Hermione on the way to the Great Hall for lunch.

"Yes. I wish I could perform charms and transfiguration too," Ryou admitted with just the hint of a blush. To him, Ron was a mine field. It was pretty easy to make the ginger's opinion of him turn south.

"Maybe you can. Who knows?" Harry began, as an idea suddenly reached him. "I can let you try to cast something with my wand…" Harry started, keeping his voice low as he caught sight of a flash of pink and green in the distance, "When the anti-learning brigade isn't around."

"Harry, giving an untrained wizard any old wand probably isn't the best idea. Wands can be fickle… his best bet is to get a wand of his own," Hermione said as she fixed Harry with one of her 'you're being stupid' stares. Harry just shrugged it off.

"Yeah, because there's a wand shop conveniently right here in Hogwarts and all."

The argument was dropped as a vaguely girlish scream called out from beside them. Harry spun around to see Ron pressed against the wall with a dog sized tarantula casually crawling over to him. Harry's first thought was acromantula, and he instantly pulled out his wand. Then Ryou walked over and pet the damn thing. He PET it and whispered to it like he was trying to soothe it or something. Miraculously, it was backing away from Ron. It was only then that Harry realized it looked nothing like one of Aragog's children. It wasn't quite as furry and definitely not brown. It looked like a normal, average day muggle spider…except bigger.

Then came the laughter.

"On Ronny, we didn't know a boy could make such a sound!"

"It's such a shame we didn't record that."

"Simple solution dear brother. We will have to repeat the experience."

"Except next time, Sir Ryou the fearless can't be there to save our darling little sister."

Ron ignored the prods from his twin dunderheaded brothers, opting instead to never take his eyes off the monstrosity near Ryou.

"W-what is wrong with you? WHY?" He whined as he made vague gestures at the nightmarish 8 legged creature before him. Well, nightmarish for those with arachnophobia anyway.

Hermione rolled her eyes and pointed her wand at the oversized arachnid, quickly chanting the proper spell to return it to its original size. It was maybe only the size of a quarter when Ryou scooped it up and gently placed it on the windowsill where it wouldn't be accidently crushed.

"Why? Didn't we tell you yesterday?"

"It's the month of screams and fears."

Ron gave the twins a pathetic shrug before he turned and marched into the Great Hall with Hermione hot on his tail. The twins snickered at the clear look of disappointment on Hermione's face before she left. Honestly, sometimes they wondered if Hermione really thought she was their mom or something.

"I thought it was kind of cool."

That little voice behind the twins caught their attention and they spun around to smile at the white haired mystery.

"Ryou, Ryou , Ryou, Ryou, Ryou. What to do with Ryou," George chirped as he looked over the other boy.

"Well, guess we can cross off oversized creepy crawlers from the list… and regular sized ones too," Fred laughed as he leaned on his brother and crossed something off of a floating piece of parchment with the wave of his finger. The parchment was quick to vanish into his pocket as he turned to face Ryou as well.

"So, Ryouster. Spiders don't make you caw. But no worries, there is plenty of list to go," Fred announced, making Ryou wear a slightly nervous look.

"Well, at least we know he can appreciate our failures, ay Fred?" George received a nod in reply just as Harry walked to Ryou's side.

"You'll have to think outside the box guys. The gross, dark, and monstrous won't have any effect on this guy," He said with a smirk. After all, most scary things did nothing to a kid who loved the occult. Ryou gaped at his friend's tip.

"Harry!" He cried. Why would he tell them that? He didn't even want to think of what the Weasley twins would do now.

"Interesting. Well, thanks very much Harry."

"We'll be sure to keep that in mind."

The four boys headed into the hall, quickly making their way to the Gryffindor table to pile up their plates with delicious and copious amounts of food. The twins made sure to sandwich Ron during the meal, recalling his girlish shriek, much to their younger brother's displeasure and the rest of the house's amusement.

0

Ryou looked around with wide eyes, making sure not to stray too far from his corner. He was standing in a large greenhouse filled to the brim with unusual plants. Some of which he was pretty sure had fangs. The professor in this class had kindly asked him to stay to the side so that he wouldn't walk into something dangerous. There were plenty of poisonous plants in this little class, and Ryou simply lacked the protective gear the other students had purchased prior to their school year. It was alright though. Professor Sprout made sure to come by every now and then to ask him how he was doing and to answer his questions about the various plant life. Right now though, she was busy instructing another group of students on the proper removal of the pussy overgrowths of a large red flowering plant. Their past endeavor failed, judging by the white goo clinging to their goggles and gloves.

"It looks messy, but it's not as bad as Bubotuber pus. That stuff smells horrible, and once it's in your hair, it takes awhile to get it out," said a voice nearby. Ryou instantly looked to his side, eyes locking on the familiar red tinted robe of a Gryffindor. He recognized the boy as one of Harry's friends, but the name escaped him completely. He looked a bit nervous that he had spoken out like that and was hesitant when he glanced towards Ryou.

"What are bubotubes?" Ryou asked hesitantly, letting his curiosity get the best of him. The other boy smiled warmly at the question and seemed to relax considerably.

"It's a large, bulbous plant used to treat acne. So, uh… you're Ryou right? With all the new faces you've been meeting you probably don't remember mine. I'm Neville Longbottom," the boy said as he offered a hand out to Ryou to shake. Neville's goggles and gloves were completely clean of pus. He hadn't burst a single one.

"It's a pleasure, Neville," Ryou greeted as he shook his hand. It didn't take much to get Neville to talk more and more about the plants. Any other topic made the boy a bit more shy and withdrawn, but a little head tilt and questioning look at any bit of foliage made Neville slip back into a professor like trance. It was almost as fascinating as the magical plants themselves.

/The only thing fascinating about plants is just how useful they can be to take down an enemy. You should pump that chubby little mortal for more information. I'm sure I could make quite a toxin with plants such as these./

The spirit of the ring really knew how to suck away the enjoyment of a topic. After that little comment, Ryou decided Herbology was a class he'd rather not bring the spirit to anymore. Especially since he could feel the spirit's interest through their mind link every single time Ryou cast even a half glance towards the one plant that resembled a venus fly trap, except with a tongue and what looked like bloodstains on a set of razor sharp teeth.

Well. At least this time it was just a deadly looking plant - something stationary. In Care of Magical Creatures, Ryou was pretty sure the spirit was itching to steal the Crup they were learning about. Something about the wizard bred dog's hostility towards muggles just seemed to make him smile.


	17. Secrets

Wednesday morning started off slightly different than Ryou's days at Hogwarts so far. For one, he wasn't awake when Harry came to get him for breakfast. Harry peeked in through the curtain barrier, honestly surprised to see Ryou still completely out of it, curled up in the covers of his bed. He was usually up and dressed by now.

"What's the hold up, mate?" asked a voice from the side as a hand tugged the curtain back completely, letting the light streaming through the windows hit Ryou square on the face. The boy reacted instantly, turning his head away from the light and burying his head in a pillow. With his hair so white and fluffy and his arms securely hidden under his equally white and fluffy pillow, it didn't even look like a person was lying in the bed.

Harry chuckled as he walked over to prod Ryou in the side. Ron smirked and crossed his arms as he waited. Then his eyes caught sight of some shiny thing sitting on Ryou's bedside table. The bulk of it was obscured under Ryou's borrowed uniform, but what looked like a golden spike could just be seen peeking out from beneath it.

0

Ryou felt something poking him in the side and he subconsciously tried to bat it away. His efforts failed and as the poking continued, his mind slowly started to wake itself up. He had ended up going with Harry to map out constellations for his Astronomy class until late last night, and the moment he hit the covers, the spirit of the ring decided he wanted to mock Harry's inability to read the stars for an hour. When Ryou had finally taken off the ring and settled down to sleep, it was already well past 3 in the morning. It really was no wonder he had overslept for breakfast.

He turned his head to the side as his vision began to adjust to the light. The fuzziness went away just in time to see Harry's friend Ron pulling the millennium ring out from under the black wizarding robe.

"No!" he yelped, now very much awake as he snatched the ring right out of Ron's hands. Once he realized what he had done, he instantly blushed and looked away from the ginger's shocked face.

"I was just looking mate. No need to wig out," Ron said as he lifted his hands, palms out, and gave Ryou a look.

"S-sorry. I was still a bit asleep. I didn't mean to yell like that," apologized Ryou with a quick bow of the head, though he still kept the ring close to his chest. He turned away from Ron as he pulled the leather cord over his head and quickly deposited the golden charm safely under his night shirt. He was still blushing even as he grabbed some clean clothes and stumbled over to the bathroom.

Ron and Harry just watched him go. Harry was pretty sure he had seen that golden necklace before, in a photograph back in Little Whinging. He hadn't been aware that Ryou had that with him, though now that he thought about it, Ryou might have been wearing it at the hospital too. Harry couldn't really remember. His friend had never once showed it to him, nor mentioned it… though judging from his reaction to Ron just touching the thing, it was pretty important to him.

Harry stopped his train of thought there. He shouldn't pry into his friend's life.

"Bit of an overreaction if you ask me," Ron grumbled as he stuck his hands in his pockets, completely ignoring the fact that he had gone through Ryou's property without asking. Harry gave Ron a look and just shook his head as Ryou emerged from the bathroom, refreshed and ready for the day.

"Sorry again, Ron," Ryou said with a much more calm and relaxed tone. But now that Ron was aware of the ring being there, he couldn't stop himself from staring at Ryou's chest curiously, where he was quite sure the ring was resting behind the layers of clothes. The staring made Ryou uncomfortable, and once he started to squirm a bit, Harry took the cue to push Ron towards the door.

"Come on Ryou. You definitely want to eat before Divination. Less chance you'll get light headed," Harry called out as he left the room. Ryou followed him out, relieved Harry just dropped any thoughts about his choice in jewelry.

When they entered the great hall, Hermione was already gathering her things to head out.

"About time you boys showed up. You don't have much time before classes start," she said as the three sat down and grabbed things to fill their stomachs. Ryou settled on just a cheese Danish.

"Not our fault Ryou wouldn't wake up," Ron commented as he shoveled a helping of food onto a plate and began tearing into it.

"Oh Ryou, I have Arithmancy this morning, if you want to come," Hermione offered, opting to ignore Ron in favor of the more mature Ryou.

"Oh, um…" Ryou began, but Harry was avidly shaking his head no. "thanks anyway Hermione, but … I told Harry I'd go to Divination with him and Ron today."

Hermione took a second to glare at Harry before turning her frowning face towards Ryou. She seemed disappointed, though not at Ryou. The whole topic of Divination generally made Hermione frown in displeasure.

"Very well. I'll see you guys later. Don't be late to your….'class'." With that, Hermione left.

"So…what's wrong with arithmancy anyway?" Ryou asked Harry curiously, but it was Ron who answered.

"It's math! What's NOT wrong with math?" he cried out. Harry smirked and Ryou tipped his head.

/There is magic in numbers, Yadonushi. It is not surprising that this school teaches such a thing. /

Ah, that explained Ryou's unasked question.

"So, we should probably head up to class. It's a bit of a walk," Harry said as he finished gulping down his food and stood. Hermione had been right when she said they didn't have much time left. Most of the students were already getting settled in their classrooms.

"Oh can't we just skip it?" Ron mumbled as he stood, grabbing a piece of toast to go.

0

When Harry said Divination was a bit of a walk, he wasn't exaggerating. It was at the top of a tall tower, up a spiral staircase and then up an additional ladder. Ryou was surprised he wasn't feeling winded by the end of the trek, but then his body had gone through plenty of unintentional endurance training since the spirit of the ring repeatedly got them stuck in the shadow realm… not to mention the thieving sprees.

Upon entering the classroom, Ryou looked around in awe. Crystal balls, needles, little alters, drawing circles, and all different types of tarot cards were spread about the room. The professor that taught here was called Professor Trelawney, and though she seemed a little eccentric, Ryou couldn't help but like her.

"Oh yes, you must be the child Dumbedore spoke of. Ryou Bakura was it? Welcome. Keep an open mind in this class, dear boy. You'll find… that a broad mind is more apt to take in that which is usually unseen," she said with a smile as she looked up to the side, putting her hand out for emphasis. Ryou smiled at her in return. He was quite fond of the idea of divination himself. He used to read tarot back at home, though he didn't really consider himself very good. Plus, a lot of times, the things he predicted weren't exactly pleasant.

/ You are more skilled than you know, Yadonushi. I bet if you looked into those strangers' deaths you predicted, each and every one would have happened. /

For some reason, that didn't feel very comforting. Ryou was pretty sure the spirit was aware he wasn't helping either. He let out a soft sigh as the professor assigned the pages they'd need for the lesson today. Harry flipped to the proper page and positioned the book between himself and Ryou.

"Today we will look into apantomancy. Now, can anyone tell me what apantomancy is? Anyone at all?" Trelawney asked the class. A few hands reached into the air, but Ryou noticed Ron and Harry hadn't even glanced up at the teacher.

/Divining through animal encounters…interesting…/

Ryou blinked and tilted his head in surprise. What was the spirit talking about now?

"Apantomancy is a form of divination in which a person's situation is read by chance encounters, particularly encounters involving animals."

Ryou looked over at the girl who had answered. A Gryffindor with long black hair.

"Very good Parvati, very good. Now, since we won't come across many animals up here, we shall be using cards with animals drawn on them. You must learn what each animal means and interpret the omens as your partner draws them. Come come then. Get into groups and collect a deck," she called, and quickly students began to hustle towards the table where various thin decks were lying about. Ron eventually got up as well, bringing back the cards and plopping them down without much care. Ryou picked up one of the cards and flipped it over. The card was long and aged, the once white borders faded into a color resembling a coffee stain. On the card was nothing but a simple branch sitting against the night sky. Ryou was confused. He had thought the cards depicted animals… and at that very thought, something flew into the scene. An owl perched itself lightly on the branch, fluffing its wings and preening itself. It stopped and stared at Ryou from the card, locking its inked black eyes with Ryou's brown irises. He was so entranced by the moving drawing that he didn't even see the professor approach him. Heck, he didn't even hear her when she spoke to him. It wasn't until Harry elbowed him in the side that he finally broke his gaze and blinked rapidly.

"huh? What?" He asked, blushing quite a bit when he saw the professor staring down at him curiously. She just smiled and held out her hand.

"The card, dear." Hesitantly, Ryou handed the card over.

"Our guest has just demonstrated a fundamental idea for apantomancy to be successful. The diviner must put themselves into a trance, opening themselves up to the encounter that can foretell their lives," she said as she looked at the class. Finally she turned to look at the card, adjusting her glasses as she did so. Her smile was gone instantly, and she looked at Ryou with something mixed between shock and sympathy. Ryou shrunk back in his seat. What was wrong? Was an owl bad? He suddenly had a feeling of dread well up inside of him. Beside him, Harry was rolling his eyes and Ron was picking at the tablecloth. Neither seemed very interested in their teacher's dismay.

"Is…is something wrong, Professor?" Ryou asked hesitantly as he looked up at the seer.

"My dear boy… the owl is a symbol of the dead. They are the guardians of spirits. They protect those who have ended their time in this world and accompany those souls to the next. If an owl has come to you, then I'm afraid…it must want to guide your spirit to the afterlife…" The teacher spoke with a completely serious tone, and the room became silent as all eyes fell on Ryou. Professor Trelawney put her hand to her mouth and gently placed the card onto the table. She walked away, casting pitying glances towards Ryou as she made her way to her desk.

Ryou just sat dumbstruck, staring at the card even as the owl lifted its wings and flew away.

"Don't take what she says too seriously, mate. She predicts Harry's death like, every other class. Nothing to worry about," Ron said with a shrug as he fanned out the cards in his hand, waiting for Harry to take one.

"Ron's right Ryou. She finds a way to turn everything I do in this class into something that has to do with death. It's just…what she does," Harry whispered as he smiled as his friend and took a card. The smile vanished the moment his eyes looked at the image. He seemed annoyed.

"It's a coincidence," he mumbled as he threw the card down on the table. Ryou glanced down at it only to find a large black dog staring up at them.

0

"So, even you are not quite sure why that young boy was targeted…"

An elderly wizard was standing by the window, stroking his long silver beard as he caught a glimpse of one Harry Potter and his friends taking advantage of the nice winter weather during their morning break.

"It seems that he seeks this boy out of curiosity. He is under the impression that the boy may hold some sort of power and is having his followers do research now that the boy has fallen out of his reach," said a hook nosed man with pitch black hair. The master of potions stood calmly in the headmaster's office, waiting for the other wizard's reply.

"A power you say?" Dumbledore asked as his eyes slowly drifted to a head of white hair, watching as it disappeared back into the castle.

"Yes, although I have not seen anything particular special about him and you can trust that I have been watching. Closely," replied Snape as he glanced at the window before turning his eyes back to Dumbledore. True, this Bakura boy had proved to have an open mind with an eagerness to learn that he wouldn't mind seeing in his own house snakes, however that trait wasn't particularly special and not once had he seen the boy display any magical ability. If it wasn't for the fact that he had reportedly seen Dementors, he would have just marked him as a muggle and moved on.

The headmaster nodded and stepped over towards one of the many shelves that covered his walls.

"Thank you Severus. That will be all for now," said the headmaster as his fingers began to slowly drift across the multitude of books on the shelf. Snape merely nodded before turning to leave. It was only a matter of time before someone discovered a way to explain how a boy who apparently lacked magic could somehow hold off full grown wizards who had mastered the dark arts.

0

Ryou had tried his best to put the eerie divination experience behind him during their last class, but it was pretty obvious that wasn't happening. Hermione kept casting curious glances his way all throughout transfiguration, noting the distant look in his eyes despite the fact that just yesterday this class had enthralled him. She leaned over to Ron and Harry, questioning the odd behavior.

"Professor Trelawney predicted stuff in class today," Harry explained, keeping his voice a whisper as Professor McGonagall continued her lecture.

"Oh, and today she didn't just predict Harry's death. Nope, this time around, she also predicted Ryou's," Ron quickly added. He quieted as the professor turned her eyes their way, making any attempt at conversation impossible. After morning classes finally finished up, Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Ryou decided to get to the Great Hall in time to actually eat at their own pace. Hermione quickly approached Ryou as he turned his eyes towards the ground, face deep in thought.

"Don't listen to anything that woman has to say. She doesn't know what she's talking about. Divining the future…how silly," she said in an effort to cheer him up. Ryou looked up in surprise, almost hopeful.

/The bookworm is the one who knows nothing./

Ryou frowned and looked away as the spirit in his head just chuckled at Ryou's anxiety.

"Really, Ryou, I mean, just look at what you were learning! Telling your future just because you saw an owl? There are owls all over Hogwarts," she pointed out and Ryou had to admit, she had a point. Except he hadn't just seen an owl fly by the window or something. He had picked it specifically.

"The owl was my card, though. It wasn't something I saw in passing… I drew it," Ryou replied and it was only then that Harry realized just how much the prediction was bothering him. Ryou hadn't spoken up about it, so he thought he put it behind him. Apparently Ryou trusted professor Trelawney's words a great deal. Ryou wasn't aware of just how dramatic his divination teacher liked to be.

"Ryou, Professor Trelawney said Apantomancy required an encounter with a real animal. We were only drawing cards to practice interpreting just in case. So, it's not like it was a real prediction," Harry said as took a seat at the Gryffindor table, Ryou sitting beside him. Ryou hadn't really thought about it that way, but Harry was right.

/Four eyes ruins everything/

Ryou looked up at Harry and nodded, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. Plus, if his life really was in danger, wouldn't the spirit of the ring be more alarmed? Then again, the spirit was already dead. It wasn't like he could die again. No wonder he didn't really care.

/aww, don't think like that, Yadonushi. Of course I would care if you died/ The chuckle after that little thought made Ryou question the spirit's sincerity.

/After all, I'd hate to have to find a new host…/

Ah, there you go. Ryou didn't find the spirit amusing in the least, though judging from the laughter ringing in his head, one ghost found himself hilarious.

Ryou was so lost in thought he failed to hear the screech above him. It wasn't until he felt something land on his head that he was brought out of his mental … discussion.

"eh?" He looked up, locking eyes with a tiny little gray bird with tufts on its head. It stared back at Ryou for a moment before it spread its wings and leapt back into the air, flying in a tight circle around Ryou's head. At last it let out a loud chirp, dropping the parcel in its mouth right in front of Ryou as it continued to flit around his head.

"Pigwidgeon, would you calm down!" Ron called out as he stood up to try to snatch the little bird, but the scops owl dodged and settled himself back atop Ryou's head. Ryou didn't seem to mind though. He looked up again, trying to glimpse the bird that was now using his messy white hair as a nest before looking down at the letter that 'Pigwidgeon' had dropped in front of him. He wasn't surprised to see it wasn't addressed to him.

"Here Ron. Your owl dropped this," he said as he handed the letter to the red head.

"Yeah. Thanks. Sorry about him," Ron replied, motioning to the little owl, "Pig is pretty annoying."

"No, it's fine. I don't mind him!" Ryou said quickly, shaking his head just a bit and causing the owl to spread his wings to keep his balance. His attention was drawn over to a loud crash near the red haired Weasley twins, where a larger brown owl had crashed into one of the dishes while delivering its own letter. Then another owl flew right past Ryou, inches from his nose. He blinked in surprise and looked around, realizing that the entire Great Hall was full of owls, most of which had letters and packages dangling from their beaks or talons.

"Woah," he said in awe.

"Oh, I guess you've never seen the mail being delivered. It's usually delivered in the morning at breakfast, but with all the mail checks that have been going on lately I can't say I'm surprised they're so late," Harry said as he glanced around the room. Hedwig was nowhere in sight, but she rarely delivered mail to Harry so he wasn't really expecting her.

"I guess we can cross off owls, claws, beaks, and things in his hair from our list too. What a little owl charmer you've got there Harry." Harry looked over to find one of the twins leaning on the table, watching Ryou. The other twin was on the opposite side of the table leaning on Ron, much to the younger boy's displeasure. Harry followed the twins' gaze and found himself staring at Ryou, who had been joined not only by Errol, the Weasleys' owl that had crashed a few minutes earlier, but another owl as well was by his side, and he honestly had no clue who it belonged to. Pig was still on his head too, but Ryou was just smiling, petting the various birds as they cawed in his direction.

"Yeah, Hedwig warmed up to him pretty fast too," Harry said with a grin. Ron and Hermione could only watch in surprise as yet another owl, this one from the neighboring Ravenclaw table, came over to join Ryou's growing party. It really was quite the sight.

0

Later that day, Ryou found himself sneaking about the castle in a method vaguely similar to the way the spirit of the millennium ring liked to slink about. He was sticking close to Harry, Ron, and Hermione as they were joined by a few other students. They pressed themselves against the wall and went deathly quiet when they heard the faintest of meows from down the hall, before Harry started pacing back and forth for no reason. He had told Ryou he knew where he was going and everyone watched him pace, but it was only Ryou who seemed confused by his friend's odd movements.

Then it happened. Right there on the solid brick wall, a door grew out of nothing.

"Come on," Harry urged once the door fully formed and the group hustled inside. Once inside, Ryou could only gape at the enormity of the room. When Harry said they had a secret place to practice magic, Ryou hadn't expected it to be so large and open. How could a room this big be so well hidden?

"Welcome to the room of requirement, Ryou. It's a magical room that changes depending on what we need," Harry laughed as he patted Ryou on the back, finding the white haired boy's expression just priceless. The group waited off to the side as more and more students from all different grades and houses sporadically came in.

" For a top secret club, it sure has a decent number of members," Ryou noted as he looked over the various faces that now filled the room. Some were familiar from the Gryffindor table, but many were new to Ryou. Steadily, as they began to notice Harry's tag-along, those faces turned Ryou's way.

"Why's he here? He can't even do magic!" One finally called out. The boy was wearing blue, which meant Ravenclaw. He didn't seem to be asking the question to be rude, as his eyes were hovering on Ryou with pure curiosity. Ryou blushed and couldn't help but step back behind Harry in a useless attempt to get out of their line of sight.

"Ryou is a friend of mine who wants to see magic first hand. Since Umbridge has no intention of showing him anything, I thought we would be the best group to show him just what we can do," Harry said, confidence in his voice. Here, he was a leader. Ryou could tell by the way the others looked to him when he spoke.

"Isn't it a bit convenient that he showed up right after we started this club? You sure he's not a spy?" The voice this time was timid, coming from a yellow Hufflepuff girl.

"Trust me, he's not working for Umbridge. I've known Ryou since before the school year started, so his allegiance is one thing you won't have to worry about," Harry announced, and after a second of silence and staring, whispers broke out. They were quickly followed by various questions that Harry couldn't make out as each person spoke over one another.

"Guys, quiet down. One at a time!" Harry raised his arms up to silence the group, and like any good school kids, they began raising their hands to give voice to their curiosity. "And no questions about Ryou," Harry added, which seemed to really disappoint the other kids. Their hands slowly went down and Harry sighed in relief.

Ryou watched as Harry lined the group of students up, taking on the role of teacher as he instructed them on whatever spell they had learned at the last meeting. They paired up with each other and went over the last lesson briefly, testing the spells on each other just to make sure they had gotten it down.

Ryou watched as one by one, one half of each pair fell to the ground, legs locked together by an unseen force. Even the spirit of the ring was finding the display interesting, and Ryou could feel the amusement radiating from his other self when one particular wizard was legged locked, hobbled forward a few times, then crashed into a table, causing it to tip over and scatter everything that was on top of it all over the boy.

After about 15 minutes of practice, Harry applauded the groups' efforts and finally told them what they would be learning at this meeting.

"Most of the older students will be familiar with this, but it will still be a good refresher. As for the younger students, this will definitely be something you'll want to know," Harry started, pausing as a cabinet behind him began to shake about. He put a hand on it as if to calm it, keeping his eyes on his students, who now had their attention glued to the cabinet.

"In here is something called a boggart. It will change into your worst fear the instant it sees you, and the only way to beat a boggart is through laughter," he began. Ryou listened curiously, his eyes glued to the scene as Harry continued to explain what he knew about boggarts and the spell he was going to teach them that would allow them to defeat one if they encountered one. Even Koe kept quiet, choosing to listen and learn from the Potter boy. The wand movements seemed simple, as did the actual spell, and after a few minutes of practicing their pronunciation, the students were moved into a line in front of the cabinet.

/Oh this ought to be good/ came the spirit's eager voice, just itching to see the looks on the kids' faces as they had to deal with the monster that was fear. He was excited, but not about the magic. He just wanted to see the Hogwarts students' looks of terror.

"You are a sadist, Koe. In case you weren't aware," Ryou muttered quietly, resulting in laughter from the spirit before their link fell silent. The first student was approaching the cabinet while everyone else backed away. It was Hermione, most likely to give a demonstration for the younger kids who had never used the spell before.

Ryou snickered at her fear and he could tell the spirit was sorely disappointed. To fear failure on an exam… for some reason, Ryou wasn't even that surprised.

One by one, each student approached the cabinet, and each tried their best to defeat their fear. Sometimes Ron or Hermione had to step in and stop the boggart, but overall the group did well. Ryou was especially excited to see what each person would morph their fear into. It was just plain cool how one minute there could be a wolf standing there, and the next, it was nothing more than a harmless balloon animal. Once the students felt they had the spell down, they walked to another part of the room to recap on the spells that had already learned. Ryou found himself watching those students too and felt a little jolt every time they used a new spell he hadn't seen yet.

"So what do you think?"

Ryou looked up to see Harry leaning against the wall beside him. Ryou smiled.

"It's really exciting. So much better than just reading about it," he said as he turned his attention back to the group.

"Well, you're welcome to come and watch any time. I'll let you know whenever we plan a meeting. Did you…want to give it a try?" Harry asked, suddenly turning to look at Ryou. He had his wand in his hand and he was really starting to wonder if Ryou would be able to use it. Ryou's eyes were locked on that polished holly stick, temptation gnawing at him, but he finally shook his head no. He didn't want to chance it. What if shadow magic came out instead of good magic? No. It was best if he didn't try.

"Not this time. I don't really want to find out what my biggest fear is," he said as he turned his eyes towards the cabinet as the boggart was pushed inside. Harry turned to look at the creature too as he slipped his wand in his sleeve. He glanced back at Ryou out of the corner of his eye, and all three minds there were wondering the very same thing. What would the boggart turn into for Ryou?

0

Dinner was coming to a close when Harry finally got Ryou to stop asking questions about various spells and their counter curses. Sure, they all arrived pretty late to dinner thanks to their secret meeting and Hermione's idea to stagger everyone's departure so as not to draw attention, but still. Harry was glad Ryou was showing such positive interest, but they all had to be careful with what they said around certain people, and he had to quiet Ryou down on more than one occasion when certain students in green drew too close.

"Okay, one last question. What was the spell for the boggart again?" Ryou asked, keeping his voice low as he finished up his dessert. The Great Hall was emptying now and their voices were much easier to overhear.

"Riddikulus. You— " Harry began just as a grating fake cough reached his ears. He closed his eyes and took a steadying breath before slowly turning around in his seat. There stood a smiling, pink skirt wearing, ministry maggot casually tapping her foot.

"Mr. Potter, did I just overhear you trying to teach that…" she paused a moment, casting a disdainful glance towards Ryou, "that little… muggle… a spell? You know that I won't tolerate such things outside of a classroom, dear," she said. Harry set his jaw and did not reply. He stared at the professor, eyes narrowing, knowing she was only confronting him about this so that she could have a reason to give him a detention.

"Please ma'am, he wasn't teaching me how to perform anything." Ryou spoke softly, finding the woman before him intimidating. But he had to say something. He couldn't let Harry get in trouble because of him. Not when Harry warned him over and over that this club was to be kept a secret and he had to be careful with what he said.

"Are you trying to tell me I didn't just hear Mr. Potter about to explain the Riddikulus charm?" she asked, her beady eyes nailing Ryou to the spot. He swallowed and tried to collect his thoughts, but someone else was faster at that than him.

"Potter was just telling me how ridiculous it is how many people are complaining about how things are done here. I've got to agree with him too. As the professor, you know what's best for your students, and it would be better if everyone just accepted your words without any fuss."

The boy's words were sweet and his face positively innocent as he smiled up at Professor Umbridge. She narrowed her eyes, and pursed her lips.

"Do not lie to me, dear," she said in a cold yet still sugary tone. Her eyes only narrowed more when the boy appeared hurt and confused by her accusation. While she had yet to see anything but honesty and politeness from this boy, the fact that he was Harry's friend alone was enough to distrust the words that came out of his mouth.

"Lying to my superiors? I… I wouldn't, I," he began with a stutter as his face grew more and more upset, as if the very idea of lying to her was a taboo in his mind.

"Hmm… Escort your pet to its room, and then get to your dorm, Mr. Potter. Dinner is over." With that, the overweight little toad left, casting one last glance towards Ryou. Harry just blinked at Ryou in surprise until at last the boy smirked.

"You are way too good at that," Harry remarked, shocked that someone as honest and courteous as Ryou could pull off such a fantastic little act. The other boy just shrugged.

"I wasn't lying, now was I? WE were complaining about her earlier, and it is better to take action rather than fuss about things you deem need to be changed," explained the whitenette as he gracefully started walking down the aisle. He technically hadn't lied at all. Even at the end there, she had cut him off before he could finish his sentence…just as he knew she would. Mortals were just too easy to fool.

Bakura stopped as they reached the floor where his temporary room was located, turning to grin at Harry one last time.

"See you in the morning then. I don't need you to hold my hand all the way back to the hospital wing," he said, his voice sweet and as innocent as ever. He just smiled and waved goodbye as Harry continued up the stairs, and Harry never noticed when Ryou headed back down.


	18. Lost and Finder

Thursday was relatively uneventful. The classes were the same as Monday, except this time during potions class, Ryou got to help out by adding a bezoar to Harry's cauldron. It wasn't that the directions called for it, but once the black haired boy's potion started giving off a poisonous gas, Ryou acted quickly to get it under control and the bezoar was just what it needed to calm down. He read it in a book that a bezoar would be good to eliminate most toxins. He was glad it worked, though he felt a little bad when Professor Snape came over and scolded Harry. When he looked at Ryou, he seemed almost surprised, but said nothing as he moved on to take points from another Gryffindor.

"You sure you want to go back to that boring Rune class?" Ron asked as the group began to split up after lunch to head to their respective classes. Ryou gave a quick nod. Harry could understand why the other boy wanted to avoid Divination for awhile. He wished he could just skip the class sometimes too.

"We'll see you in Defense Against the Dark Arts then," Harry said with a wave as he and Ron headed off to Divination, leaving the white haired boy with Hermione. Ryou felt nervous watching Harry leave. He had the same feeling last time he split up from Harry and followed Hermione to Ancient Runes, though at least this time the walk to the classroom wasn't nearly as awkward. Now that Hermione knew Ryou was quite adept with the subject, they just talked about Egypt instead of walking in silence like last time. They had just turned a corner, deep in conversation, when Hermione bumped into someone in front of her.

"Watch it, Mudblood," called a disgusted voice ahead of them. Ryou blinked curiously at the blonde haired boy sneering at Hermione. He didn't know what 'mudblood' was and judging from the angry look Hermione was giving this boy, he doubted they were friends. The boy turned his eyes to Ryou for a moment, looking him up and down as if sizing him up, before pushing past the two. Two big brutes followed after him and as Ryou watched them leave, he decided it was probably best not to pick a fight with them.

"Draco Malfoy… that rotten little…" Hermione began, biting her lip to try to contain her irritation. She let out a disgruntled groan as she grabbed Ryou's arm and pulled him along.

"Just avoid that vile little worm. He likes nothing better than to tear other people down," Hermione warned, though in Ryou's opinion, she seemed more like she was venting rather than giving advice. Ryou wanted to ask what a mudblood was, but for some reason, now just didn't seem like the right time.

Hermione's mood lifted considerably once they were in the classroom, and by the time they had met back up with Harry and Ron, it was as if the incident had never even happened.

But everyone's mood went south again when the Dark Arts professor entered the room, every hurried little step accompanied by a loud click courtesy of her hot pink heels. She walked straight to the front of the classroom and turned with a no-nonsense look to her face. Odd since she was usually the one who brought nonsense into the classroom.

"Sit," she said in a strong tone. The entire classroom obeyed instantly. It was clear something was bugging her today and nobody wanted to be on the wrong side of the cannon when she fired.

Umbridge slowly paced the front of the room, letting her eyes linger on each student's face one at a time. The silence was stifling and making most of the students nervous. When she locked eyes with Ryou, he swore she could hear his heart beating. It sounded extraordinarily loud to him anyway, but her gaze soon passed to the next student.

"Well. Who was it? Come now children, speak up. I promise, if you speak up now, I won't be mad," she said sweetly as she smiled at the class, though her eyes were clearly angry and dangerous. Her words only brought about confusion as students began looking at each other and whispering.

"WHO. WROTE. THIS," she shouted as her hand whipped out from behind her back and slammed a piece of paper down on her desk. The sheer sound of the slam was enough to make many of the students, Ryou included, jump in surprise. But nobody stood up. As the professor's eyes roved over the room with annoyance and something Ryou couldn't indentify, nobody dared make any unnecessary movements. Even their breaths were kept as silent as possible.

"….very well. Then this entire class will join me for detention," she said in a shaky voice. Harry grit his teeth and seemed about to say something, but Ryou quickly grabbed his wrist under the desk. His eyes never left the teacher. She was looking for someone to blame for whatever had happened to her, and Ryou really didn't want Harry to be her punching bag.

When nobody spoke or even moved for the next five minutes, the teacher finally closed her eyes and sighed.

"I will see you all this Saturday. You are dismissed," she said as she turned her back on the students. The class seemed confused. Were they supposed to just go? They didn't actually have class though, and to top it all off, she had given them all detention for no reason.

"Leave," she ordered once more, and this time the sound of many screeching chairs filled the room as the young witches and wizards made haste to get out of that classroom.

0

"What do you think got her skirt in a knot?" Ron grumbled as he, Harry, Hermione, and Ryou walked up the stairs.

"I honestly haven't a clue. Apparently somebody left her a note, but why is a letter making her so hot under the collar?" Hermione sighed as she stepped off the stairs shortly after they clicked into place after deciding to move across the stairwell.

"Maybe it was a love letter, talking about her sparkling personality," Harry said as walked down the hall. On the plus side, as least the class had been short and Umbridge for once didn't even mention Ryou. On the negative side…Saturday detention? For doing absolutely nothing? This was ridiculous.

"I wonder if somebody played a prank on her," Ryou wondered out loud. He was apparently the only one who was genuinely curious though. The other three really didn't seem to care. Harry only offered a half-hearted shrug before he stopped at what appeared to be a dead end.

"Strigiformes," Harry stated in a cold, flat tone towards one of the many painting hanging on the wall. The fat lady in the image seemed a bit miffed by his tone, but swung open to let the students inside.

As they entered, they were quick to learn they weren't the only students who were more than a little irritated at the pink professor. Pretty much everyone who had her today also had detention on Saturday.

"Is she serious? What is wrong with that woman?" Ron called out as he joined in the Umbridge rage party.

"Fred, George…this wasn't your doing was it?" Hermione asked as she caught sight of the twins. They seemed like they'd be dumb enough to try pranking the pink toad, yet undeniably clever enough to get away with it.

"Us? Not at all young lady," chirped one as they both spun around at the same time.

"BUT we did find out what's wrong," said the second, picking up where his brother left off without any hesitation.

"Apparently somebody broke into her office last night."

"And they left a little love note on her desk~"

The twins seemed excited by the whole thing, talking back and forth about how impressed they were with whoever it was that did it.

"So it really was just a note? Why is she making such a big deal out of it?" Ryou asked with a cock of his head. The twins paused in their giddy chatting and locked their eyes on Ryou. Casually they walked over to him, leaning an arm on either of his shoulders.

"Oh, no dear Ree-you. It's not the note she's mad at. Whoever left the note also took the time to completely destroy her office," Fred said as he grinned at the whitenette.

"Indeed, Ree-you. We're currently trying to find out what that note said. Perhaps it was a taunt? A 'haha you didn't catch me'? Everytime she looks at it, she frowns," George added as he leaned in closer.

"It's almost as if what it says has her … worried," Fred said softly as he too leaned in close. Ryou looked back and forth between them, really feeling awkward and uncomfortable. Why were they getting so close to him?

One of the twins smiled, revealing a mouth full of fangs and stared at Ryou, never blinking. The no-blinking stare might have unnerved Ryou if the twin didn't have a smile filled with dagger like teeth. He wasn't even bothered by the oddly hot breath of the twin as he poked at one of the fangs, entranced. Then he realized what he was doing and jumped back.

"Sorry! Oh, I didn't I wasn't— " he began to stutter, but Ron's poorly disguised snickering cut him off. Ryou blushed and looked away, rubbing the back of his hair as people started to either chuckle or ask the twins about their latest creation. The twin sighed as he snapped his fangs closed twice with a click - click. Well, at least the twins' latest failed scare tactic helped get everyone's mind off of Umbridge.

0

"She's still wigging out about it."

Ron grimaced as the roots of the Snettle plant he was working with began to curl around his gloved hand, leaving a slimy black trail everywhere they touched.

"Yeah, I heard she's not even letting other teachers into her office. She's paranoid they're going to do something while she's not there," Harry replied as he pulled his hand free of the roots after successfully snipping off a decent sized piece. He looked at the root curiously, watching it squirm across the table to reach a small puddle of water. As soon as it touched the puddle, the water boiled and evaporated in seconds.

"Well, at least all of her craziness isn't directed at you and Ryou anymore," Ron said with a shrug as he cut a piece of root as well. Harry chuckled.

"Yeah. Now she's terrorizing everyone equally," he scoffed as he placed another root down beside his first.

"Speaking of Ryou, you think he's okay by himself?" Ron asked as he poked and prodded his root, frowning when it curled around his finger and wouldn't let go. Hermione finally got it to let go by enticing it with a drop of water on the table.

"Yeah, I'm sure Ryou is fine," Harry began. Though it sounded awful to think about, Harry knew Ryou was probably used to being alone. "I bet you he'd even like the Snettle seedlings," Harry said as he cracked a grin and glanced down at the ground. What looked like tulip bulbs with teeth were hopping about, chomping down on anything on the ground while they looked for a place to re-bury themselves. Harry watched one in particular as it tried to gnaw through his heavy duty Herbology waders. They were originally bought to wade out into the lake to view the aquatic vegetation, but Professor Sprout also found the thick shoes to be perfect for guarding against Snettle seedlings' razor sharp teeth.

Unfortunately for Ryou, sneakers just wouldn't cut it.

Ryou glanced across the field, catching sight of the tops of the greenhouses from his spot atop a hill near a large lake. He was a bit disappointed in not being able to attend the Herbology class, but safety was the professor's priority. Since he was forced to leave Harry and his friends, he decided he might as well wander the grounds for awhile. The school was massive and although he was confident a certain invisible someone accompanying him would make sure he'd never get lost, he didn't really want to go too far away from the greenhouses. So after he wandered for awhile, he sat himself down near the lake and just…enjoyed the day. The sun was warm, the breeze tugged gently at his long white hair, and the frosted grass was soft beneath his finger tips. Hogwarts was enjoyable even if he didn't think about the magic aspect of it, which only made the place that much more spectacular.

His eyes once again found their way towards the lake. It was dark and ominous at first glance, but it had a certain beauty about it that was simply amazing. Ryou found himself wondering what mysteries it held in its dark depths. Perhaps some sort of mythical creature right out of duel monsters resided in its waters. He smiled at the idea and leaned on his hand.

"And what have we here? Enjoying the view are we?"

Ryou looked up at the sound. The voice sounded vaguely familiar, though he couldn't say why. His eyes fell on a robe lined with green before they made their way up to a sharp eyed boy with slicked back hair. It was the boy he had seen earlier the day before when he was with Hermione.

"Yes, I am. It's such a lovely looking school," Ryou said with a warm smile. The boy scoffed and rolled his eyes. Ryou frowned at the boy's attitude.

"What are you even doing here? Showing up this late into the term…. I heard you are nothing more than a muggle playing with wizards," the boy sneered. Ryou didn't like where this was going, but couldn't really offer any rebuttal. Perhaps it would be best to just leave.

"Sorry if my presence upsets you," he said succinctly as he stood up and dusted himself off, but two large green glad boys blocked his way.

"Wait. There's no rush, sheep head. We've just come to introduce ourselves. After all, even though you only attended a potions class twice, you seem to have a pretty good grasp on the subject. We Slytherins can respect that," the boy said as he steadily circled Ryou not unlike a shark circling a wounded seal.

"I am Draco Malfoy. Let's be friends," the boy said as he held out a hand. But the boy's – Draco's – smile made him nervous. It reminded him too much of the spirit of the ring's grins. So Ryou stepped back.

"You aren't acting very friendly…" he said quietly, but he couldn't retreat any further. The two bigger boys were blocking his path. Draco smirked and gave a shrug.

"Well, I suppose you've already made a pact with that golden trio haven't you? Too bad. Such low class friends like them… I suppose it suits a low class muggle like yourself," he said, and in a flash he was pointing a black stick towards Ryou.

"Sursum Ventus!" he shouted before Ryou even had a chance to react. A gust of wind blew from beneath his feet, sending his borrowed wizard robes up over his head and catching on his hair. His gasp was muffled behind fabric as he lost both his balance and sight, falling to the ground. He quickly tried to fix himself and push the robe back down, and for a second, his reflexes were sharper, faster, and much more precise. But only for a second. Right before he heard a loud snap.

"Well what do we have here?" Ryou heard Draco speak the words just as he finally got himself re-oriented. His hands flew to his chest fearing what he already knew, and he looked over at Draco in panic. Gold dangled from the boy's hand and Ryou quickly jumped up to make a grab for it. He didn't get far, for two large arms were quick to grab him.

"Interesting jewelry you wear. No wonder people think you're a girl," Draco cooed as he spun the golden necklace around his hand absent mindedly.

"Please give it back. It's important to me!" Ryou cried out as he tried to force himself free of his harassers.

"Oh, I see. Why didn't you just say so. I'll give it back to you…" Draco began as he glanced towards the lake. Ryou sighed in relief, but it came too soon.

"…after you go for a little swim," Draco added with a malicious glint in his eye. "You were looking at the water, right? Well, let's take a closer look!" He chanted and Ryou felt his feet lift off from the ground as he was forcibly carried towards the lake. The goons behind him were chuckling as they followed their little blonde master and Ryou didn't dare take his eyes off of the millennium ring. Draco had no idea what he had in his hands right now.

"Go on then, Goyle. Send our little friend on a nice, wet journey," Draco chirped as he finally stopped spinning the ring and gestured towards the lake. Ryou instantly grabbed a hold of Goyle's arms. If he couldn't fight him off, maybe he could hold on. Goyle's smirk soon vanished as he tried to detach the clingy whitenette from his arm, but it was proving to be a challenge. Draco rolled his eyes and jerked his head towards Crabbe. With the second boy's help, Ryou's fingers were uncurled from Goyle's arm and on the next moment he felt himself falling through open air. Laughter reached his ears as he turned to catch a glimpse of the three boys racing off before water engulfed his senses. Ryou thrashed about, trying to find his way back towards the open air. The murkiness was making that difficult since he could barely tell which way was up. His lungs were burning by the time he finally broke the lake's surface. With a huge inhale, he made his way to shore, crawling towards the grass and coughing excess water out of his mouth. He shivered as he instantly scanned the field, but he couldn't see Draco Malfoy, his associates, or the ring anywhere.

0

Draco tossed his prize up and down as he, backed by his two body guards, Crab and Goyle, wandered close to the walls of the Hogwarts castle.

"Just look at this gaudy thing. What kind of design is this nonsense?" He asked as he held up the golden necklace by one of its five hanging spikes, inspecting the carved eye that sat in the center of a triangular piece of gold, all of which was surrounded by a circle. He stopped and held the golden ring flat in his hands, looking at it curiously. He couldn't help but feel like there was more to it than meets the eye. In fact, he almost felt as if the eye carving was glaring at him. He sneered down at it, gripping the ring tightly with both hands.

"Maybe I should just break the damn thing. Leave the pieces around for that kid to find…" He began before a look of confusion fell on his face. He let out a yelp of surprise and dropped the ring into the grass, quickly turning his hands palm up to stare at his now slightly raw skin. Crab and Goyle looked at their little leader in confusion and Draco turned a surprised stare at the seemingly harmless golden trinket now nestled in the grass.

"It burned me! The stupid thing burned me!" He called out as he kicked at the ring, sending it crashing into the brick wall of the school. Draco gritted his teeth and pressed his palms close to his body as he glared resentfully at the damnable golden necklace.

"Crab. Throw that stupid thing away," he ordered and Crab hesitantly approached it. "If that stupid girly boy wants it back, then the filthy muggle can beg his darling Potter to fetch it for him," Draco spat as he watched Crab scoop up the now cool metal in his giant hand and arch his arm back to chuck the evil item far away from them. Before he could release his grip, a voice called out through the air.

"HEY!"

"Speak of the devil," Draco growled with a roll of his eyes. He crossed his arms. Keeping his burned palms pressed against him, and turned around to face Harry as he quickly approached, flanked by his two usual cheerleaders.

"Potter. I don't recall inviting you to this party," Draco sneered. Harry met his eyes evenly.

"Malfoy. Where did you get that?" Harry demanded as he pointed to the ring sitting idly in Crab's hands. Malfoy smirked and just shrugged.

"It's an old family heirloom my father sent me in the mail. Nothing that concerns you," he said dismissively as he turned away from Harry and his friends.

"You little liar! That's Ryou's. I saw him with it," Ron barked, fingers just an inch from his wand, just waiting for a reason to hex the blonde snake. Malfoy said nothing as he looked over his shoulder with a devilish grin.

"Give it here, Malfoy," Harry ordered as he held out his left hand. His right hand had already pulled out his own phoenix core wand and he was aiming it directly at Draco's face. Draco turned at the challenge with a pompous smirk.

"Or what?" He asked, and that was all it took.

"Flipendo!" Harry shouted, sending a spell straight towards Draco, sending him forcefully backwards until Goyle caught and steadied him. Draco glared at Harry, hands burning as he balled them into fists, and without even glancing at Crab ordered him to throw the ring. Once again, the large oafish student arched his arm back.

"Relashio." A female voice rang out through the group. The spell collided with Crab and the boy's hand instantly let go of the ring, letting it fall to the ground by his feet. Hermione kept her wand trained on Crab while Ron had his aimed at Goyle. Harry narrowed his eyes at Draco, surprised the Slytherin hadn't already drawn his own wand. He wouldn't give him the chance to if he tried to go for it now.

"Get out of here Malfoy," Harry growled, though the Slytherin didn't seem ready to step down. The Slytherin finally turned with a guttural growl, storming off with his hands pressed against his sides, and headed into the castle. The golden trio didn't lower their wands until the blonde and his cronies were out of sight. Only then did Harry walk over to the golden necklace on the ground and pick it up. Ron and Hermione stood beside him, glancing at the item as well.

"l was wondering why Ryou wasn't waiting for us outside the green house. Malfoy must've gotten to him first, the slimy little git," Ron huffed as he glared in the general direction Draco had just run off to.

"This is Ryou's? How do you know? I've never seen him where it before," Hermione noted as she gently traced the eye engraved in the center with the soft touch of her finger. She recognized the eye of Horus from her Ancient Runes class. The item looked like something straight out of Egypt. But then, Ryou had said he had friends in Egypt, so it very well could have been.

"He wears it under his shirt," Harry said quickly as he examined the item.

"Yeah. It's apparently super important to him. He all but went mental when I picked it up the other day. He's probably freaking out as we speak," Ron said with a half smile and a shrug, but Harry wasn't listening. He was too busy staring, baffled by a single tine on the ring that was hovering in the air. He tapped it and it bobbed up and down, but continued to ignore gravity and point out towards the fields.

"What in the…" He began, turning the ring. The moment he did so, the tine turned as well. No matter what he did, it was constantly pointing in the same direction.

"Woah. It did NOT do THAT last time I saw it," Ron blurted out as he realized what was going on. He mimicked Harry's actions and prodded the hovering spike. Hermione stayed quiet, her brow creasing in confusion as she stared at the artifact.

"Should we follow it?" Ron asked. Harry looked up at him for a moment, but the ginger only shrugged. "Well, it's gotta be pointing somewhere right? Let's find out where. Besides, we don't even know where Ryou is, so we can't exactly run to give it back to him."

Harry hesitated, but Ron did have a point. Plus he was extremely curious now. What exactly was this thing pointing too?

"Come on," he finally said as he headed off in the direction the raised tine was leading. The ring led them straight across the Hogwarts grounds, over a hill and down towards the lake. The moment they reached the lake, the tine dropped and another rose. The three looked at each other for a moment before turning and following the spike as it led them around the large body of water. Harry's eyes widened as he caught a flash of white amongst the trees boarding the lake and soon enough a familiar face was tumbled out from the underbrush.

"Ryou!" Harry called out as he ran over to his white haired friend, followed closely by Ron and Hermione. Ryou looked up in surprise, though Harry could see panic written in his eyes as well. That panic morphed into astonished disbelief as the boy spotted what was sitting in Harry's hands. With a sloppy stumble, Ryou quickly made his way over to Harry and snatched the ring from Harry's grasp.

"Harry! You got it back! Oh thank goodness!" he said as he hugged the warm gold close to his shivering chest.

"Ryou, you're soaking wet," Hermione said in an upset tone as she gently touched Ryou's shoulder. His robes were heavy with water and his hair was still dripping from his dip in the lake. He turned his face towards said lake and frowned. It no longer seemed as pretty as it was from his seat on the grassy hill. He shivered as a gust of winter wind tore through him and Hermione quickly told him to take off the soaking wet robe.

"Ron, let him use your robes for now," she said as Ryou's borrowed robe collided with the muddy ground with a disgusting splat. His exposed arms shivered even more as he forced his numb fingers to tie the leather strap of his millennium ring back around his neck.

"What? Why me?" Ron asked affronted, but after a whap to the head via Arithmancy textbook, the ginger shed his winter coat and offered the dry piece of clothing to Ryou. He took it gratefully, though he was still shivering from head to toe.

"Come on. Let's get inside. Maybe Madam Pomfrey can give Ryou some pepper up potion," Harry said as he guided Ryou back towards the castle. The group walked briskly, shielding their sodden friend from the now bitter winds until he was safely inside the warm confines of the school.

0

"You know, you're lucky we came when we did, or Malfoy would have done who knows what with your treasure thing," Ron said as he sat on the edge of one of the many white covered cots in the hospital wing. Harry and Hermione sat on another while Ryou sipped pepper up potion surrounded by a fluffy towel.

"Thanks again for getting it back to me. It was a gift from my father and I don't know what I'd do if I lost it," Ryou replied as he laid a hand on the shiny gold lying innocently against his chest. He wouldn't add that his panic was also due to fearing someone would try to wear the thing besides himself. Even if the ring didn't somehow kill them, he didn't even want to imagine what the spirit would do to the poor kid.

"It's strange really. When we found it… it guided us straight to you," Harry said as he glanced at the golden charm, eyeing the hanging tines with curiosity. Of course, now they were completely motionless and spectacularly un-magical.

"I don't really know how, but the ring always finds its way back to me when I lose it," Ryou said with a small half smile. Whether or not that was a blessing or a curse had yet to be made clear.

Harry glanced at Hermione who once again looked deep in thought, then at Ron who seemed indifferent about the whole thing, and then at last his eyes fell back on Ryou. Perhaps Ryou was unaware the ring literally pointed towards him. After all, if its magic only activated when it was separated from Ryou, it made sense he'd never know it was magical. But knowing Ryou, he'd accept the idea without a fuss. Probably with a smile and a 'that makes so much sense!'

Harry let the thought bring a smirk to his face and an inaudible chuckle to his chest.

0

When Saturday came, Ryou found himself alone in the hospital wing. He sat on the edge of the bed, casually tinkering with the spikes of the millennium ring resting in his hands. Harry and most of the student body was attending detention with that one high pitched, pink clad professor. Ron had said being able to skip it was the perk of not being a real student, though Ryou couldn't tell if he was trying to be nice or spiteful. He didn't seem like he meant harm though, so it was probably the former.

"I wonder how long the detention will be…" Ryou said out loud as he stroked the gold in his hands. He didn't get any kind of response.

With a sigh he flopped back down on the bed. Maybe he should explore some more. Since the pink professor was holding the detention, he wouldn't have to worry about running into her right? The other professors seemed to except him well enough. Professor Snape or Professor McGonagall might question him wandering the halls all alone, but he doubted they would actually scold him for it. They were intimidating to be sure, but they didn't seem like bad people.

With that thought he pushed himself off the bed and pulled the leather strap of his millennium item around his head. He tucked the gold under his robe and headed out the door.

The hallway was surprisingly empty, though he should have expected as much. Not even the students in green had escaped the pink one's wrath. That woman was on a war path since Wednesday, forcing students to have one on one chats with her. From what Ryou heard, she was interrogating pretty much everyone, himself included, about various things. He wondered if she was offering them tea like she did for him when she requested he speak to her for a moment in private. He couldn't exactly refuse, and despite his attempt to be polite, his replies to her inquiries about his whereabouts Wednesday night just seemed to make her annoyed. He had been glad to part company with her. The tea had a strange taste to it and every time he told her he didn't even know where her office was, she just frowned at him and asked a slightly different yet similar question.

Ryou sighed as he stepped out onto the stairs, watching the moving pictures that lined the walls as he made his way to the lower levels of the castle. He let his mind wander over the various teachers and classes at the school. Pretty much everything here was amazing in his personal opinion. He smiled as he spotted one of the amazing things he had been thinking about gliding down the hall.

"Good afternoon Sir Nicholas," Ryou greeted, causing the ghost to turn and face the boy with a warm hello.

"Ah yes, the young chap from the muggle school. Lucky for you you're not attending school here, lest you be trapped in detention as well," he said with a light hearted chuckle. Ryou gave a meek smile in return and nodded.

"So I've been told. Though I don't think anybody knows exactly why she's holding detention for everyone. Do you know why she's so upset?" Ryou asked the ghost with a tilt of his head. Nearly headless Nick gave a curt nod.

"Apparently somebody broke into her personal office and completely ransacked the place. It seems the person was after something specific, though the room was in such disarray it was impossible to tell what exactly went missing," he said to the white haired boy. "Lucky for Miss Umbridge, Dumbledore was able to repair all the damage rather quickly with a few waves of his wand… though, some things took longer to fix and I can't fathom why," he explained as looked off to the side in thought.

Ryou smiled at the ghost's words. Whatever had happened was fixed almost instantly thanks to the magic taught at this school. Hearing about magic that was used for good, like repairing things, levitating, and defeating fears… it was an entirely different thing than the shadow magic that surrounded Ryou and his friends in Japan. So far the only thing he'd seen shadow magic do was hurt his friends, himself, or help the spirit of the millennium ring sneak around unnoticed.

"Thank you for telling me, sir," Ryou said to the floating entity before him as he gave a slight bow. Nick smiled and nodded.

"Not at all, my dear boy. Though I do question why whoever did the deed made such a mess of the place if they had the talent to break in so inconspicuously. Whoever the culprit was didn't leave a trace on the door, neither physical nor magical. Definitely the work of a professional. Ah, you young things and your pranks," The ghost said as he waved a transparent hand through the air, not bothering to try to understand the minds of teenagers.

As the nearly headless specter floated on, disappearing through the nearest brick wall, his words about the 'Umbridge incident' repeated themselves in Ryou's head and made the young boy stifle a gasp. It was at that point that Ryou realized who was really to blame. Someone who had been oddly quiet about the entire issue. Someone who, despite his infamous reputation, didn't once show any curiosity.

"You did it. You left the note and took something important from her office," Ryou said to the empty air as he stared blankly ahead. He blinked and rapidly looked down towards his chest. He pressed his palm against the warm metal beneath his robes as he heard a chuckle echo from the back of his mind.

/I didn't take anything. That's the brilliance of it./

"What? Then… Why is she so upset?" The spirit had to be lying. He was a thief and the victimized professor was clearly in a panic thanks to whatever he had done.

/She thinks someone stole from her office. Most mortals get upset over such a thing, Yadonushi. / The spirit's words did little to clear Ryou's confusion. If the spirit did not steal anything, then the note was what, a taunt like the Weasley twins said?

"…so… then your note didn't mean anything…? " But then, the twins claimed they discovered what the note said. Something along the lines of 'You will never get it back'.

/heh heh heh. Wrong again, Yadonushi./

Ryou furrowed his brow in thought. Koe claimed he didn't steal anything, and yet told the professor she lost something. Why break into her office, tear the place up, not take anything, then leave a note saying he did? Would the spirit give him a straight answer if he just questioned him?

"What will she never get back?" He asked, deciding he might as well try. He blinked in surprise at the instant reply.

/ Her sense of security./


	19. Win-Lose Quidditch

Figuring out that the spirit of the ring had broken into Professor Umbridge's office made Ryou feel both guilty and paranoid. It suddenly made sense that he couldn't remember actually going to bed after dinner, nor why his body still felt tired in the morning. How many times had the spirit taken him over without him knowing since they were here?

/Just this once, Yadonushi. You can trust me, little host./

Yeah. Sure he could. Ryou walked blindly forward through the empty hallways, trying to push away the squirming feeling in his gut. If it wasn't for him and his cursed ring, Harry and the other students wouldn't be in trouble and the teacher wouldn't be possibly traumatized.

/Four eyes up and abandoned you over the summer, Yadonushi. The half-wit toad is no better… she insults not only you, my host, but everyone she speaks to. Her voice alone is reason enough to want her disposed of/ purred the voice of the ring.

"No, Koe. Harry had no choice when he left… and you can't just attack people you find annoying," Ryou replied with a sigh and a shake of the head.

/I didn't bring any physical harm to the bi-/

"Koe! Don't even pretend you don't know mental attacks are just as bad as physical ones," Ryou said, cutting the spirit off and stopping in his tracks. The spirit stayed quiet after that, but Ryou could tell he was amused. A slight chill brought Ryou's attention away from the spirit and onto his surroundings, finally taking a moment to look around. He didn't know how long he had been walking, muttering to himself in an internal argument, but the warm candle lit halls were gone. Dark stone lined his field of vision, and the air felt cold and almost damp. The walls looked familiar enough, but they looked like every other wall down here. He turned around, but only saw the same bleak gray stretch off into the darkness. He was in the dungeons and he was completely lost.

The amusement from the spirit of the ring only grew.

0

The door knob actually turned, and for a moment, Ryou got his hopes up. You know, until a broom fell out and hit him on the top of the head.

"Oww…" he mumbled as he rubbed his poof of hair and shoved the broom back to its original resting place. So much for finding someone to point him towards the stairs…or a map, if one even existed for a school that liked to just spontaneously change.

/Yadonushi, you are wearing something far better than any map…/

Ryou sighed as he closed the door. The millennium ring pointed to strong sources of magic. He knew that, but the entire castle was a strong source of magic. How was it going to guide him anywhere?

/The ring has a natural pull to strong magic, but I can make it guide us anywhere./

Ryou frowned. The spirit would use shadow magic for that, wouldn't he? Well, it wasn't like this was a life or death situation. He'd find his way eventually. Hopefully. He didn't need to rely on a thief spirit with questionable motives.

But after opening the same closet for the third time, using shadow magic to guide him was looking really tempting. He looked around one more time, back and forth between two identical corridors and finding no clues to help him, before pressing his hands against the golden ring that hung around his neck under his robe. He closed his eyes and sighed.

0

Some people at Hogwarts were actually enjoying the peace and quiet of the empty halls. One such person was walking down the halls, cloak billowing out behind him. The hooked nose professor stopped the moment his peace was disrupted by the sight of solitary white in the dimly lit darkness. He watched, somewhat surprised to see the muggle boy in the dungeons, with no sign of Potter nor anyone else for that matter. What, exactly, was he doing down here?

Severus Snape turned the corner, once again observing as the boy closed a closet door and seemed to debate which hallway to go down next. Snape narrowed his eyes as he approached the flustered boy from behind, watching for anything unusual he should be noting… however the only thing he saw was a muggle clutching his chest. He half expected the white haired child to break down and cry.

"And what, may I ask, are you doing wandering around the dungeons, mister Bakura?" he asked, smirking despite himself as the boy jumped and spun around with wide eyes. His smile disappeared the moment the boy's surprise did, for the professor swore he could almost see relief in those doe brown eyes.

"Oh, you're…professor Snape? I got lost," the boy admitted sheepishly, as he turned his gaze downward. Severus had heard that excuse plenty of times from mischievous students. One in particular was close friends with the boy before him now.

"Well, maybe next time you shouldn't leave your Gryffindor chaperones then, should you?" replied the professor. Bakura merely muttered a quick 'yes sir', but stayed where he was. Severus watched him in a silence that was only interrupted by the sound of footsteps on the floor above them. Finally the boy cast a sideways glance towards the corridors.

"Anou…can you…tell me which direction the stairs are, sir?" he asked in a very quiet, polite tone. Severus quirked an eyebrow. Well, if the boy was faking his disorientation, he was doing a remarkable job of it.

"Take the left corridor, then your third right. It sounds as if the students have been released from their detentions, so if you still can't find your way, I'm sure one of them can point you in the right direction," Severus said in his usual stiff tone that generally made the students squirm. Ryou Bakura was no exception.

"Thank you," the boy said with a quick bow before he started quickly heading down the left corridor. Severus watched him, finding the white haired teen easy to track even amongst the students filtering into the darkness of the dungeons, until he at last turned and began walking down a different corridor. But after a mere minute had passed, nervous footsteps greeted his ears.

"…why are you following me? Even your sidekick, Potter, would have understood those directions…" Severus spoke in a bland, drawn out tone as he stopped, half turning to look down at the white haired boy who wouldn't even raise his head to make eye contact with him.

"I've…changed my mind. I don't need to find the stairs anymore. I was…anou…hoping maybe you could…teach me about potions?" the boy asked, his voice going up at the end of the question as if the idea had only just now come to him. It most likely did. Severus glanced passed the boy, spotting one Draco Malfoy glaring in Bakura's direction and doing a rather poor job of pretending to be in a conversation with his classmates. Bakura was just trying to stay close to a teacher to keep the students at bay, most likely. The potions master closed his eyes and took a breath.

"You are not a student here, therefore I have no obligation to teach you anything," Severus replied, icily as usual. However his tone was clearly losing its effectiveness since the boy instantly started following him as the professor walked down the next hall, and Bakura didn't follow him quietly.

"Can I watch you brew a potion?"

"No"

"Please?"

Severus stopped in his tracks, turning to face the white haired boy with clear annoyance all over his face. He wasn't expecting the boy to be so close to him, nor to be looking at him with such trust. Surely Potter had told this boy about him. A quick glance down the corridor once again brought Malfoy into the professor's line of sight.

"Malfoy, I'm sure you and your classmates have homework you could be doing, rather than following the Hogwarts ward around the dungeons…" Severus drawled, watching as the small group looked to Malfoy before quickly dispersing. Draco stared down the hall, eyes lingering on professor Snape for a moment before locking onto Bakura. Bakura merely scooted closer to the professor – something Severus wasn't really expecting. It was a rare thing for someone to seek his protection from Slytherin students.

"Now you have no reason to follow me as it is quite clear you don't have any real interest in the subject of potion making," the professor said when Malfoy finally ran off. He glanced at Bakura, who was looking down the hall, before turning and walking away.

"…anou…I really am interested, sir." The boy's mouse like voice rang through the hall, causing Severus Snape to pause yet again. He barely glanced over his shoulder at the boy, looking at his curious, hesitant eyes.

"….As I have said. You are not my student. I do not choose where you go or what you do," the professor replied as he strutted down the corridor.

After a moment of silence, the sound of light footsteps began to follow him.

0

Severus was not the kind of man who grew particularly attached nor interested in others, let alone children, but this Bakura child had managed to hold his attention. The boy had followed the potions master to his class room, watching in silence as the man brewed up a complicated truth serum in a small copper cauldron. The boy had been so quiet that Severus had nearly forgotten he was even in the room. He made sure to stay out of the way and never once seemed bored despite having nothing to do but watch. Even while the potion was just sitting, boiling, the boy stared at it with a curious gaze thinking about who knew what. Then the brew was bottled and the cauldron emptied, and when the professor walked away, the boy immediately approached the pot and peered inside, his voice too soft to actually hear as he spoke in wonder.

But then the child, out of the blue, requested if he too could try to brew something. His voice was wavering and unsure, and under any other circumstances, Severus Snape would have replied with an instant no…however this offered a chance to see if the boy was actually worth the attention of his two masters. Voldemort sought the muggle boy for reasons unknown to the DeathEaters, and Dumbledore wanted to keep the child close and unveil the mystery of the Dark Lord's interest.

So he had agreed to allow Bakura to attempt a first year potion.

He watched him now, giving the boy space to work, taking note of his expressions and movements. Occasionally the boy would seem confused, looking off towards nothing before a look of dawning appeared on his face, and he'd move swiftly on to the next step of the potion. Sometimes, after hesitation, he would ignore certain steps in the old potions book and cut or chop ingredients how he wanted to. Once he even substituted an entire ingredient – a move only Severus Snape had ever done in the past. Then came the moment where a touch of wand work was required, and at this step, the boy stared intently at the page, re-reading it over and over again. Severus watched the panic rise in his eyes as he realized he lacked a wand to energize the potion. The boy shook his head before looking up to stare at the potions master, then at the cauldron. Severus took this moment to slowly walk over, drawing his own wand out and whisking it around the potion, letting purple sparks fizz against the cauldron's rim. The boy flinched back under the professor's judging gaze.

"Next time you want to try something, make sure you actually have what is required so that you won't need to be rescued from your own miserable failure," the blacked haired man said stonily as the boy looked towards the ground with a nod.

"You're done here," Severus said as he gripped the fabric of the boy's sleeve and guided him towards the exit of his classroom. With a snap of his fingers, a passing Slytherin paused, looking towards his Head of house cautiously.

"You. Escort Mister Bakura back to the Main Hall. No detours," he said as he released his grip and gave the white haired boy a rough, though not particularly forceful push forward. Terence Higgs, a seventh year Slytherin, glanced at Bakura, then back towards the professor, but Severus had already turned back towards his classroom, leaving no chance for the older boy to deny the request.

Severus closed the door behind him before casting a look towards the simmering cauldron on the desk. With a billow of his robe, he walked over to the mixture and took a look. The potion wasn't perfect…most likely due to the time it took for the Hogwarts Ward to pause and read the next step or debate whether or not he would even follow that step, but for a boy who apparently had never been exposed to magic before, it was quite exceptional. It put the first year students' work to shame, and this boy hadn't even followed the instructions. He had improvised in a way Severus himself had done back when he was a student at this school. But where did a supposed muggle get such knowledge?

0

"Malfoy troubles huh? Yeah, that one loves to stir up trouble. He loves the attention. You know his hands are bandaged right now? He claims they were burned and Madam Pomfrey can't fully heal them, but I bet he's just…"

The calm chatter of Terence Higgs instantly cut off as he and his temporary charge were confronted by three wary Gryffindors.

"…Right. Well, there's the Great Hall. Don't wander around the dungeons alone, Bakura," Higgs said with a half smirk at the white haired boy. He glanced at the quiet Gryffindors, glaring straight back at the red head who was giving him a particularly nasty look, before turning and heading his own way.

"Ryou, we've been looking all over for you!" Hermione chirped, eager to break the silence that threatened to hand over them as well as keep Ryou's attention off of Ron's dubious staring.

"Sorry. I wasn't sure when your detention would finish, so I decided to explore a bit," Ryou said with a light shrug. Harry nodded.

"Yeah, if it wasn't for Professor McGonagall coming in, Umbridge never would have let us out," Harry said, though his eyes held curiosity as they looked over Ryou.

"What were you doing with some Slytherin git?" Ron finally barked. Ryou looked over at the red head who seemed downright disgusted by Ryou's escort.

"Higgs? I got lost, and he helped me. I mean, Professor Snape ordered him to do it, but Higgs was nice about it," Ryou said with a smile as he looked down the hall Terence had walked down.

"Snape? Were you in the dungeons?" Harry asked, earning a quick nod from Ryou.

"I'm surprised that man didn't just leave you wandering down there. I bet he likes watching stray first years squirm trying to find their way out of his lair," Ron grumbled. "Never trust a snake, I say. I'm surprised that Slytherin didn't hex you once ol' Snape turned his back," he added with a huff. Ryou frowned at the red head. He had found Terence quite friendly and Ryou wouldn't mind seeing him again, but it seemed the rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor made inter house friendships hard to achieve no matter what the individuals were like.

0

After a few weeks at the magical school, Ryou had quickly grown accustomed to the strange and the wonderful. Although the dungeons still seemed utterly maze like to him, after nearly a month in the castle he had finally learned his way around and no longer needed Harry to guide him everywhere. He still stayed close to the bespectacled Gryffindor rather than wandering around on his own except on the occasions when Harry had detention, and after watching Harry's Quidditch practices the first few times (And politely refusing to 'give it a try'), he started spending those hours with Hermione in the library. He still enjoyed reading the various books on magic despite never actually attempting any wand work, and Hermione found his deep interest in a magical education particularly refreshing.

Classes were still just as exciting to Ryou as they had been his first day sitting in on them. Some of the professors even called on him in class, such as Professor McGonagall, quizzing him on the various lessons. Even Professor Snape seemed to somewhat accept him in the class, sometimes allowing him to answer questions and, if he was in a good enough mood, ask some as well. Ron and Harry were still amazed by that unexpected turn of events. Ryou might not be on the receiving end of praise from the potions master, but he was rarely scorned by the man either. Some classes, however, he chose not to attend such as History of Magic and Defense Against the Dark Arts. It wasn't that he didn't want to learn those subjects. The teachers just made such a thing…difficult. Umbridge even liked to disrupt other classes, sitting in on them and berating professors for pretty much anything, even if it was just acknowledging Ryou as part of the class. Those were the worst lessons.

Ryou was growing more used to the other students as well, and they were finally getting over the mystery that was the white haired ward of the school. He was old news now. Sure, he still received a few curious glances here and there from the more distant students, but the Gryffindors in particular didn't even care about how often Ryou was spotted in their common room now. If anything, they only stuck around a moment longer to see what scheme Fred and George had thought up this time to try to frighten the non magical boy.

Ryou even tried to pretend to be scared, just so the Weasleys would stop. Apparently he wasn't a good actor though, because the twins were quick to call him out on it. The shock factor of some of their tactics might have actually scared Ryou, but he was getting too used to their attempts. Every new little disguise, magical display, or Weasley invention was definitely interesting, but the attempts were becoming somewhat routine to the white haired boy. Hermione finally snapped and shooed the twins away as they came up with one silly thing after another, telling them to just drop their little game already.

Now it was already the first Saturday in November. At breakfast, Harry had to dedicate his time to calming the ball of nerves dressed as Ronald Weasley. The red head was so insecure about his first game on the Gryffindor Quidditch team that he was heading straight down the road of self-sabotage. This was going to be the first time Ryou saw the wizard sport in action, and although Harry had given him numerous run downs of how the game worked, it was still hard to visualize. Ryou couldn't wait to actually see it in person.

"We should go find seats soon. Ron and Harry will be taking the field in a few minutes," Hermione said as she wrapped a red and gold scarf around her neck. Ryou had a scarf in the same colors hanging on his shoulders. Harry and Ron had gone down to the Quidditch pitch early to gear up, leaving Ryou with Hermione to get him something to show support for the Gryffindor team. Now, bundled up for the chilly November weather, she was guiding the whitenette across Hogwart's grounds towards tall towers matching the colors of the 4 houses of the school.

Ryou looked at the wooden stands high above the ground, and then locked his eyes on the three rings at the end of the field. They were decently sized hoops, but it was still probably hard to get a ball through them when you were flying through the sky. He remembered his own experience flying and it was tough enough just getting up in the air. He couldn't imagine flying with other people chasing after you.

/You give them far too much credit, Yadonushi/

"You don't give them enough," Ryou replied.

"Did you say something Ryou?" Hermione asked as she looked over her shoulder at the boy.

"Nothing important," Ryou replied with a smile as they climbed the steps into the stands. As soon as they found seats, Ryou began to feel the excitement racing through the crowd. Everyone around him was chattering in anticipation, but their conversations were lost in a cacophony of cheers once the players took the field. Ryou gave a light clap as he spotted Harry, smiling at his friend as the teams dashed through the sky. The Gryffindors hissed their boos when the team in green game flying out, and Ryou had to physically duck when their team seeker dived too close to the stands. He frowned as he caught sight of Draco Malfoy who, according to Terrance Higgs, the previous Slytherin seeker, had bought his way onto the team. Ryou didn't really see the fairness in that.

/Money rules the world for now, Yadonushi, no matter how talented others may be./

Ryou didn't like that view of things, but he couldn't even say it wasn't completely untrue. Money was a scary super power. Kaiba had proven that.

Wait. What did he mean by 'for now'?

"Look Ryou, Madam Hooch is starting the game!" Hermione called, jerking Ryou out of his thoughts. Although she was turned towards the field, it felt like she was still keeping her eyes on him. She was the most observant of the three Gryffindors he had been hanging around with and sometimes Ryou felt like she knew he was hiding the spirit of a 3000 year old Egyptian thief within his soul. Or something.

"And they're off! Today promises to be a brilliant day for Quidditch, with the biggest rivalry in the school starting off the Quidditch season. That's right folks, it's Gryffindor versus Slytherin. Let's hope those snakes can reel in their notorious cheating streak and play a fair game for once!"

Ryou jerked a bit, having not expected the commentary from somewhere in the stands. It sounded like one of the Gryffindors that liked to hang out with the Weasley twins, but more alarming was what he had said.

"Do the Slytherins really cheat?" Ryou asked Hermione, turning a nervous glance towards the game as the brooms began to tear through the air. Hermione sighed and nodded.

"Sometimes, but we usually beat them anyway, even if they do play dirty," Hermione called out over the roar of the crowd. By now, Ryou's eyes were locked onto the field, entranced by the high speed game being played out before him. He was so busy watching the quaffle being passed back and forth that he barely registered the fact that Harry wasn't really doing anything except sitting high above, just watching the field. He said he was the seeker, so he only had to catch something called a snitch. He hadn't seen it once. Was it even out here?

/There, Yadonushi. Behind the idiot blonde/ called the spirit of the ring, referring to Draco Malfoy. Sure enough, something small and golden was flitting about literally right behind the Slytherin's back before it dashed away again. It was so small and fast. How were the seekers supposed to spot and catch that in the chaos of the game?

/Hah, it's not that hard to track it. I could catch it easily./

Ryou rolled his eyes as he returned his attention to the game. He was mildly surprised the spirit was even watching the Quidditch match. He even seemed to be enjoying it, chuckling at a few of the things the commentator said about the Slytherins. Let's just say the commentator wasn't exactly using the nicest language. He was obviously backing the team in red.

/You should focus more on the Slytherins, Yadonushi. You could learn a thing or two from them./

Ryou knit his eyebrows as he realized there was chanting on the opposite side of the stands. The kids in green were all singing something, though it took a while for Ryou to really make out just what they were saying. Something about Ron being their king.

"Oh, and the Slytherins score AGAIN. Ron Weasley has got to block out those no good Slytherins and get his head back in the game! It seems those nasty little snakes can only hope of scoring by resorting to dirty tricks. Just goes to show who has talent and who doesn't."

The commentator was right about the Gryffindor keeper. Ron seemed completely flustered and hadn't been able to block anything while the Slytherin's were chanting , "Weasley cannot save a thing. He cannot block a single ring. That's why Slytherins all sing: Weasley is our King." Ryou honestly felt bad for the red head. Listening to that over and over couldn't be easy.

/ The ginger brat is proving his own uselessness by falling for it. It is a tactic that works well on the weak. /

Yeah, a tactic the spirit had used too, no doubt. Though Ryou didn't want to admit it, the spirit was pretty good at psychological warfare.

As the match continued, the Gryffindor team had only managed to score once while the Slytherins had already gotten four goals. It wasn't looking well for the team in red. But suddenly, the seekers on both teams were diving into action. All attention went to them as they chased after the golden speck of a ball. Ryou held his breath as Harry reached out, and in a split second, the Gryffindors went from moaning in disappointment to cheering in victory.

"Harry Potter has caught the snitch, earning the Gryffindor team 150 points and the victory!" called the announcer as everyone dressed in red jumped to their feet with applause.

/150 points for catching the golden lint ball? There's no point in the other players with such a ridiculous scoring system./

Ryou said nothing, hating to admit that he found the point system a bit odd as well. That meant a team had to be ahead by at least 16 points to guarantee their victory. Otherwise the other team could steal the win by catching the snitch, no matter how poorly the rest of their team was doing. Then again, these were only just students, not professionals. Maybe 15 goals were easy to get for pros?

"Ryou. Ryou…Ryou Bakura!"

The sound of Hermione brought Ryou out of his musings as he turned to face the frizzy haired girl. He couldn't hear her well over the cheers of the Gryffindors, but she looked nervous. She tried to say something to Ryou, but at the same moment, the stands around them roared in anger. Ryou whipped his head back to the field to see Harry hitting the ground. The coach blew her whistle and was storming over to a smug looking Slytherin with a bat. He felt someone tugging his arm, but he couldn't look away from the field. Harry had stood back up, apparently okay despite whatever the other player had done, but the other seeker was doing a good job of making Harry grow angry. Ryou knit his eyes, turning to ask Hermione what was going on, but the brunette was gone, rushing as best she could to get down to the field.

/The Potter brat is about to put on quite a show, isn't he?/ purred the spirit of the ring. Half a second later, the stands were once again screaming. Ryou instantly turned back to the field to see not only Harry, but one of the Weasley twins on top of Draco Malfoy, beating him mercilessly. Ryou was frozen in shock while the spirit of the ring seemed utterly elated by the display.

"No, Harry, stop!" Ryou screamed out. Not that Harry could hear him. He looked around to try to find an opening to get down to the pitch, but the stands were packed close to the edge to try to get a better look at what was going on and he couldn't spot the stairs. He was barely even able to turn back around. The shouts of the other students were deafening and he had no clue what was being said below as the coach finally pulled off Harry and the twin from the bloodied Malfoy and led them off the field.

/Now THAT was entertainment/

0

Ryou paced back and forth in front of the painting that led into the Gryffindor common room. It had taken a great deal of time for the stands to clear enough to get away from the Quidditch pitch and by then he had no clue where his friend had gone. First he stopped by the common room, but that had been a dead end. Wandering the halls had proved useless as well and he finally ended up asking one of the many ghosts that had been floating about, speaking to the specter as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Who would have thought the occult he so loved now surrounded him to the point of him considering it normal? Ryou would have chuckled at the thought had he not been so wound up about Harry.

Now, after following the ghost's directions to a classroom, learning that Harry had just left, and following new directions back to Gryffindor Tower, Ryou found himself unable to enter the common room and unable to comfort his friend.

/He didn't seem to need comforting when he was taking care of his enemy. He does not need comforting now./

"You don't know what happened. What if he got hurt? What if he got in trouble?

/The 'fight' was completely one sided, Yadonushi. You don't have to worry about the little baby mage being injured./

Ryou knew Harry wasn't really hurt. Plus the medical care here at Hogwarts was amazing, but he still needed to find out what was going on. Then, at last, a means of entry produced itself. A snow covered Ron Weasley, still dressed in his Quidditch robes despite the matching having ended hours ago, was slowly making his way over. The red head barely glanced at Ryou before mumbling the password and clambering inside. Ryou dashed in behind him and scanned the room for Harry. He wasn't hard to spot since he and Hermione were the only ones in the room.

"Where have you been?" Hermione asked as she sprung from her seat, but her attention was completely on Ron. Ryou listened silently as Hermione beckoned the red head over to warm himself by the fire. Ron seemed content to resign the team… until he found out Harry (and the Weasley twins) had been banned from Quidditch entirely.

"What?" Ryou echoed Ron, walking closer to the group. Hermione looked up at the addition of the whitenette's voice, as if only just now realizing he was there, but Harry kept his eyes trained on the dark, frosted window. It was left to Hermione to explain everything that happened.

"Oh Harry, I'm so sorry…" Ryou began, but Harry was quick to cut him off.

"Why? You weren't even down on the field," he grumbled.

"This is all my fault – " Ron began, but once again Harry interrupted.

"You didn't make me punch Malfoy," he said, voice growing angry.

"If I wasn't so lousy at Quidditch"

"It's got nothing to do with that"

"It's not fair to take away something so important to you…"

"Yeah, well 'fairness' isn't exactly something Umbridge is big on."

"It was that song that wound me up"

"It would have wound anyone up."

"If I could have gotten out of the stands sooner…"

"You wouldn't have been able to do anything."

Hermione had wisely gotten up and walked to the window, away from the growing argument as the three went back and forth.

"Look, drop it, both of you!" Harry finally yelled, standing up and glaring at the two other boys. "It's bad enough without you blaming yourself for everything! And you. You don't even like Quidditch and you weren't even involved in any of this, so just be quiet!"

Both Ron and Ryou fell silent. Ron stared at the hem of his robes while Ryou stared into the irritated face of his friend. Harry stared straight back into his gentle eyes without any remorse for his words before turning and staring into the fire. Ryou bit his lip then opened his mouth to speak, pausing before the words came out. He sighed instead, standing silently and leaving the room.


	20. Mortis Equidae

Ryou sat on his bed in the hospital wing, sheet drawn up over his knees as he rested his head against them. It was already morning, though Ryou hadn't gotten much sleep. He had paced around the castle the night before, heading to his room only after encountering Professor Snape in the hallway looking rather cross to have stumbled upon the whitenette at so late an hour.

So he had finally snagged a few hours of rest, but when he awoke he still felt useless. Harry was upset and he couldn't help him in any way. He had failed miraculously.

/That hot head was the one out of line, Yadonushi. But I can straighten him out if you wish/

Ryou sighed and buried his head into the blanket.

"No, Koe. Leave Harry be. Quidditch is…was really important to him. I understand why Ron and I were probably annoying him. He didn't want to talk about it anymore. I shouldn't have kept bringing it up and throwing it in his face," he said, voice slightly muffled but still easy enough to understand. You know, when you're a soul leech that can read your host's mind.

/Then perhaps we should play the brat in Quidditch. I know I can catch that golden orb much faster than four eyes. He won't miss it once we show him he's as big of a failure at the sport as his red haired lackey. / The spirit said with a scoff, finding the entire situation rather annoying. Had the spirit had a body of his own, he might have jumped at the sudden speed his dear host jerked his head up.

"That's brilliant! We can play Quidditch with Harry! Miss Umbridge doesn't recognize me as a student either, so… technically all of her rules shouldn't apply to me," Ryou chirped, spirits renewed as he hopped out of bed.

/Feh. Unlikely. That fat harpy will use any excuse to condemn you or those weakling students./

"Even if she does try to say something, if it's just the two of us it won't count as a club meeting or grouping or whatever. We won't use all the balls either so if she questions it, we can honestly say we weren't playing 'true' Quidditch!"

/…. Or we can ignore four eyes and find another source of entertainment. In case you haven't noticed, Yadonushi, your so called friend or his underlings didn't come for you today./

Ryou paused as he slipped on a school robe. Well, true, Harry hadn't come like he usually did but Ryou wasn't a baby that needed to wait to be picked up. Harry obviously had other things on his mind than a friend who didn't know how to stop pestering him about things he didn't want to deal with.

" Besides Koe, it's Sunday. They're probably sleeping in," Ryou added, voicing this last bit out loud since the spirit had no doubt been listening in to his personal thoughts anyway.

/You're making excuses, Yadonushi/

Ryou ignored the spirit as he fixed his bed and headed out the door. He had a plan today, and he was going to stick to it no matter what the spirit said.

0

Well, okay the spirit might not have been able to stop Ryou's plan but something did. He couldn't find Harry. He wasn't in the great hall, he wasn't in the library –

/big surprise there/

….he wasn't outside, and when Ryou questioned the portraits, they claimed they hadn't seen him all day. Nobody had.

/He is probably in one of the hidden rooms, Yadonushi. Most likely the password protected tower. Silly host, you should have looked there first if you were so determined to find the little maggot./

"…you're really chatty today, aren't you, Koe?" Ryou mumbled bitterly under his breath as he stopped walking and glared at nothing.

/ Well, if I am it's only because you won't admit you are afraid to find the Potter brat. Poor Yadonushi… worried he's still mad at you?/

"No. He's...I'm not…" Ryou stumbled over whatever he had wanted to say as he clenched his hands, only to realize people were staring at him. He blushed and quickly turned to stare out the window, pressing his palms flat against the window ledge.

/You are, little host. You know exactly where he is, and yet here you are, arguing with someone who has access to your every thought./

Ryou frowned and stared out the frosted window, watching the students outside bundle up the fresh powder that fell overnight into compact balls and throw them at each other. He could spot the twin red heads throwing snow at the Gryffindor tower, where their younger brother's head was poking out of the window. Probably yelling at the twins…

The spirit was right. Ryou was nervous that Harry was still upset with him. But he had to get over it. He should apologize sooner rather than later. He shivered as he stood in the shadows of the castle. He couldn't keep running around aimlessly. So, he turned and finally went on his way towards Gryffindor Tower. Or he would have been on his way if his vision hadn't been obscured by black upon bumping into someone.

"Oh! Sorry!" Ryou sputtered as he backed up a step and looked at his poor victim. Low and behold, he ended up staring into the dark eyes of Professor Snape. Ryou stifled his gasp and quickly bowed to the professor.

"Sorry Sir, I should have paid more attention to my surroundings," he said quickly, though the professor just quietly stared down at the boy.

"Ryou?"

Ryou turned, locking eyes with Hermione Granger. Her clothes were damp and she had snowflakes in her hair. It didn't take a genius to tell she had just come from outside.

"Ah, miss Granger. Surprising to see you separated from your companions… what are they up to this time?" Snape drawled, apparently finding his voice with the arrival of his student. Hermione frowned and did her best to stay polite.

"We aren't up to anything, sir, but seeing as I've already finished my homework, I went out for some fresh air," she said quietly, though Snape's face was doubtful of her words.

"Um…Hermione… I was just about to head to the Gryffindor room. Can you come with me? I don't know the password…" Ryou's voice was gentle as he caste a half glance towards Snape, who had returned his attention to Ryou. Hermione was silent as she stared at Ryou. Technically, Ryou wasn't supposed to be in the common rooms. That was why he had his own bed in the hospital room. Sure, since this was Umbridge's rule, most teachers ignored it, but Snape….

"Go on, Miss Granger. Can't have him getting lost in the castle again. The last thing I need is to have to give him instructions that he won't be able to comprehend no matter how simple they may be," Snape said, voice laced with a mix of annoyance and, oddly enough, amusement. Sort of.

Hermione wasted no time in moving past the potions professor, gently tugging on Ryou's arm as they headed down the hall and up the stairs.

0

Snape watched the boy run off with Granger, narrowing his eyes as he locked them onto the rather obnoxious white locks of hair that adorned the boy's head. The white headed boy he had somehow overlooked standing in the hallway. It was strange… how had he missed such a stand out child in the darkness of the castle? The boy practically glowed in the dark with his ghostly completion and snowy hair. And yet when Snape had started walking down the hall, he could have sworn it was empty.

Either his eyes were playing tricks on him, or the boy was indeed more mysterious than everyone thought.

0

When Ryou entered the Gryffindor common room, he was honestly surprised to see Ron and Harry actually doing homework. Sure, it was what Hermione had insinuated when she was talking to Snape, but still. Hmm. If he was really doing schoolwork, perhaps the Quidditch plan should be put on hold too.

"So? Got all his lessons planned for him?" Ron asked as Hermione entered the room. Harry looked up expectantly, blinking in surprise when he saw Ryou behind her.

"Ryou… oh yeah…" Harry looked at Ryou for a moment, even as Hermione began explaining….whatever it was Ron had asked her about. Eventually Harry gave Hermione his full attention, leaving Ryou to his confusion about whoever this 'Hagrid' person was.

/He forgot about you, Yadonushi. Just like that, he forgot you even existed./

Ryou fidgeted as he stood behind the chair near the door, feeling out of place here for the first time in days. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were engrossed in a conversation Ryou simply couldn't follow. But at least Harry seemed in better spirits. Whoever this Hagrid person was had clearly replaced his Quidditch issues.

Ryou looked up as he felt a hand on his shoulder, locking brown eyes with green.

"Hey Ryou. Sorry nobody got you this morning. We had a lot on our minds…" Harry explained softly, and Ryou merely nodded. "Come on. Let's get dinner," he added, smiling at his friend.

0

Dinner had been surprisingly normal. It was like the night before never happened, though Ryou couldn't help but think it was because of the arrival of this mysterious Hagrid guy. He learned in the Great Hall that Hagrid was apparently a professor that had been on leave for unknown reasons. He taught Care of Magical Creatures and was a close friend of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. When it was time for breakfast the next day, Ryou finally saw the man and well… he was unprepared for the sight. Hagrid was HUGE. He towered over everyone in the room and made the charms professor look downright pixy-like beside him.

Harry chuckled at Ryou's blatant staring. Just wait until he found out Hagrid was half giant.

Harry's smile slowly faded as he watched his one friend, so out of the magical loop and so… unused to this type of thing. He felt a bit bad about forgetting him yesterday, but Ryou hadn't said anything about it, so he assumed it was okay. Plus, it was a big castle. Ryou probably enjoyed the time to himself to do what he wanted instead of always tagging along with Harry. Right?

0

After eating breakfast, Harry took the chance to introduce Ryou to Hagrid. He and his fellow Gryffindors had to head off to History of Magic shortly after, leaving Ryou standing before the half giant alone.

"So, yer Harry's friend are yeh? No need to be so stiff lad, I won't bite," the man said as he patted Ryou's shoulder and bent down to be somewhat more level with the boy before him. Ryou merely continued to stare. Harry had said Professor Hagrid was a half giant, but he hadn't explained why the professor looked so beat up. He was covered in cuts and bruises. It made the man quite intimidating to look at, despite the kind look glimmering in his eyes.

Ryou had already shaken the man's massive hand and had been utterly tongue tied since stuttering out his own name. It wasn't that he was afraid of the large professor, but without Harry there as a link, he was just… uncomfortable. He usually spent most of Monday in the library alone waiting for the others to finish their classes, not in front of a teacher he didn't know, talking as if they were on the same social level.

Their conversation ended up being rather one sided with only a few curt replies from Ryou before the professor had to go off and take care of things out on the grounds. Ryou watched him leave and, after a moment, smiled. He seemed like a nice teacher despite his gruff appearance and he really seemed to care about his students. With that thought, Ryou left the great hall and headed to the library.

0

Come Tuesday Ryou would finally learn why some students cheered for Hagrid's return… and why some cringed in fear.

"We're workin' in here today!" called the half giant as he thrust his thumb towards the ominous dark forest behind him. Ryou of course was too busy staring at the dead cow slung across the man's shoulder to really hear what he was saying.

/oh ho ho, I think I'm going to like this new professor/

Ryou swallowed as he finally turned his eyes to the trees. If memory served, Hermione had told him the forest was a dangerous place that students weren't supposed to enter. Apparently that rule wasn't important today seeing as this professor was guiding them straight towards the ominous forest with a happy grin framed by his tangled beard.

/hah hah! That blonde twerp looks ready to piss himself/

Ryou glanced over at the Slytherins, noting Draco Malfoy's panicked expression as they went deeper into the forest. The blonde voiced his discomfort multiple times, even questioning whether whatever it was Hagrid was leading them to was actually trained. But of course, it had to be, otherwise a teacher wouldn't be leading them to it. At least, that was Ryou's initial thought until he noticed some Gryffindors actually agreeing with Draco, a rival Slytherin. Suddenly he wasn't as confident.

His confidence sank even lower when Malfoy questioned why the professor's face was all bruised and messy and the large man snapped at him to mind his own business. Just what exactly were they being led to?

Harry gave the whitenette a gentle tug on the sleeve before he started after Hagrid, flanked by Ron and Hermione. Ryou slowly followed and eventually the rest of the class did as well. They walked for quite a bit, packing closer and closer together as the trees blocked out more and more light. If Ryou wasn't distinctly aware it was only just after lunch, he'd have thought the sun was already disappearing from the sky for the day. The deeper they traveled into this forest, the stronger the chill grew that shot up his spine. But he couldn't say he really hated the feeling. The forest may have been dangerous, but he couldn't help but feel a type of thrill when he saw the way the branches seemed to sway without wind, or the way the shred of light that did manage to sneak its way through the canopy made the dust in the air seem to dance and shimmer with life.

"Gather roun', Gather roun'," Hagrid called as he placed the dead cow he had been schlepping around down in a small clearing. Ryou stared at it, watching as flies buzzed around the corpse, wondering what was coming. Obviously it was carnivorous. He swallowed nervously as he scooted closer to Harry despite the twinge of excitement bubbling in his stomach.

The professor mentioned that whatever it was that was out here would be attracted to the smell of the meat, but he was going to call for them just in case. Nobody made a sound as the large man bellowed into the too silent forest. Eventually the students gave nervous glances to the trees, still trying their best to be quiet lest they alert whatever carnivore that was out here to their presence.

/There, Yadonushi. A magnificent steed indeed./

Ryou's initial worry vanished as he instantly turned his head, curiosity suppressing his nerves.

"A steed?" Had the spirit spotted….a horse! Ryou's eyes widened as he took in the beautiful creature slowly coming out of the bushes. Its eyes were pale white, lacking irises but shining with an almost eerie intelligence. Its black skin was stretched thin across its face and frame to the point of the outline of its bones being clearly visible despite the thickness of the beast's muscles, and it seemed to have a pointed, almost beak like muzzle. As the creature stepped further into the clearing, Ryou was awed by the large leathery wings curled up along its back. He couldn't help but stare at the majestic creature as it walked over to the cow carcass, sniffing at the meat as it flicked its bony tail, before tearing into it. Even the spirit of the millennium ring seemed utterly entranced by the display.

"Why doesn't Hagrid call again?"

Ron's voice dragged Ryou's attention away from the strangely beautiful skeletal dragon horse before him as he looked at Ron with knit eyebrows. The red head was looking everywhere but at the rather large horse directly in front of him. A quick survey of the rest of the students showed similar confusion. When Ryou locked eyes on Harry thought, the raven haired boy's eyes relaxed with relief before turning back towards the winged horse. So Ryou wasn't going insane then. Harry could see them too.

The professor called out to the class as he gestured to another of the creatures manifesting from the darkness like a real life duel monster creeping out of the shadow realm. The trees made the forest so dark that Ryou honestly hadn't seen the horse approach.

"Now put yer hands up, who can see 'em?" asked the professor, and Ryou slowly lifted his hand, letting it hover partially in the air just beside his head. Harry also raised his hand, along with Neville and a Slytherin student Ryou didn't know.

"Yeah…yeah, I knew you'd be able ter, Harry. And Ryou! Didn't know you would be joining us fer this lesson. Good to see ya," he greeted, though his eyes seemed a bit concerned as he glanced at Ryou's raised hand. "An' you too, Neville, eh? An-" he was cut off by Malfoy who used polite words to interrupt, but spoke with such disrespect that Ryou was surprised the professor didn't scold his student.

/More important than manners, Yadonushi. They cannot see these creatures./ The spirit could see how useful an invisible steed could be, particularly in his rather questionable profession, though these thoughts he kept to himself.

Ryou nodded at the voice's words as he listened to Malfoy's complaint. It was true. Most of the class was still looking every which way, trying to find what it was they were supposed to be seeing. Hagrid brought their attention to the cow carcass being picked apart by the creatures and soon the class elicited a unified gasp. Ryou couldn't help but smile as he watched the demon like animals eat. How creepy must it be to watch a cow being eaten by nothing?

"What's doing it? What's eating it?" asked one of the students as the group huddled closer together and further from the disappearing cow. Hagrid finally gave an a name to these wonderful creatures, calling them thestrals and explaining Hogwarts had an entire herd of the creatures.

"But they're really, really unlucky!" called out a student, drawing Ryou's attention to a girl he had seen in Harry's Divination class. "They're supposed to bring all sorts of horrible misfortune on people who see them," she began ranting, and Ryou instantly faced the thestrals again, this time with a new type of fondness for the deathly looking beasts. Hagrid defended the creatures, saying such things were mere superstition and Ryou gave a strong nod as he continued to watch the two thestrals as they were joined by two more supposedly unlucky horses. They didn't bring misfortune just by being there. They weren't the cause of bad things. They were misunderstood and probably in the wrong place at the wrong time. They just had a bad reputation that was all. Ryou found himself taking a step closer to the creatures while everyone else shied away.

"Who can tell me why some o' you can see them an' some can't?" asked the professor. Ryou looked up, pretty curious about that answer as the teacher called on Hermione to give a response.

"The only people who can see thestrals," she began, glancing at Harry, Neville, and then lastly at Ryou with curious eyes, "are people who have seen death."

/These thestral creatures get better and better./ the spirit cooed as one of the horses released a bird like screech. Ryou didn't usually like siding with the spirit, but here he agreed whole heartedly. No, he didn't really like that you had to see someone die to see these animals, but that wouldn't stop him from agreeing they were amazing. Ryou turned back to the creatures, prepared to listen to the professor and learn more about these incredible animals, when a loud, fake cough cut him off.

There, off to the side, the devil teacher had walked up, clad in green instead of her usual pink. She was carrying a clipboard Ryou had learned to recognize from her frequent invasions of the other classes taught at this marvelous school. He could only imaging what things she had written on that little board. Judging from the few lessons he had seen her teach, it was probably incredibly biased.

The lady professor repeated her fake little cough to summon the half giant's attention, who had been under the impression that one of the thestrals had made the initial noise. The spirit of the ring snickered at the man's panic and was sad to see it replaced by a smile when he saw the woman toad and greeted her quite warmly. Ryou glanced nervously between the two as the professors discussed what was going on, and Ryou was floored by how rude Umbridge was being. She was speaking to Hagrid as if he had a hearing problem or was mentally handicapped, and the poor half giant could do nothing to stop her disguised mockery of his intelligence and speech patterns.

At last, Hagrid informed her that the class was learning about thestrals, but she only frowned and yelled out, "I'm sorry? What did you say?" speaking just as loud and slowly as she had been the entire time. It was so unsettling. How could a professional act like this? Especially in front of students!

"Er – Thestrals! Big, er, winged horses, yeh know!" Hagrid replied, waving his arms like wings in an attempt to make the other teacher understand. His actions were supposed to be helpful, but Umbridge merely raised her eyebrows and muttered under her breath as she jutted something down on her clipboard. Ryou frowned again, wondering what she was saying. Harry was clearly perturbed by whatever it had been seeing as he was sending a steady glare in her direction.

The half giant tried to continue with the lesson, clearly flustered by what had just transpired but opting to push past it.

"Well anyway…erm… what was I sayin'?" he began only to be rudely interrupted by the visiting professor yet again with another muttering, this one quite audible, and another note on her clipboard about Hagrid's apparent 'short term memory'.

"No, that's…" Ryou mumbled with a frown, but nobody was listening to him. Most of the class had their eyes glued to Umbridge while his three Gryffindor companions were turning red from trying to contain their anger.

"Oh yeah. Yeah, I was gonna tell yeh how come we got a herd. Yeah," Hagrid continued on, taking the high road and not commenting on Umbridge's words. Just as he was explaining about the first thestral born in this forest, even patting the creature on the head, he was once again interrupted by the grating voice of the visiting professor.

/Won't that wretch shut her trap already?/ growled the spirit of the ring. If he had shown any earlier amusement from the discomfort the teacher had brought upon the students and half giant, it had been gone for some time now.

"Are you aware that the Ministry of Magic has classified thestrals as 'dangerous'?" chirped her too high voice, and for a brief moment, the spirit's rising anger subsided as he took in the term 'Ministry of Magic', instantly deciding it must have been some type of magical government he would be ignoring, and 'dangerous'. But this diversion of attention was only temporary.

"Thestrals aren' dangerous! All righ', they might take a bite outta you if yeh really annoy them," Hagrid argued with a light hearted spirit and a smile. Ryou looked at the thestrals, fully capable of understanding that they were animals, and like all animals, would defend themselves if threatened. It wasn't fair to judge an individual for the actions of another just because of a similar appearance. But the other professor didn't seem to care about such an argument.

"Shows signs of pleasure at idea of violence…" she muttered as she wrote one more note on her clipboard.

/I'll show HER signs of 'pleasure from violence'…/

"Koe," Ryou hissed under his breath. The last thing they needed right now was a shadow game…or a blatant murder…

As the care of magical creatures professor tried to explain what he meant, comparing the death ponies to a dog that would bite if provoked, the toad teacher merely jotted down another note in silence. She told the giant she'd be walking around, still speaking to him like a five year old rather than a grown man, which only seemed to further confuse Hagrid and utterly annoy those that supported him. Particularly Hermione, Ron, and Harry. Ryou shivered at the pure ire he could feel radiating from them.

"You hag, you evil hag! I know what you're doing, you awful, twisted, vicious-" Hermione hissed, but Ryou quickly grabbed her arm with his gentle touch. She turned her rage towards him, but catching his nervous gaze, caught herself and took a calming breath. She wiped an angry tear from her eye as she watched Umbridge approach another student, questioning Hagrid's clarity. Ryou followed her line of sight. It was disgusting. This self proclaimed 'High Inquisitor' was purposely, and loudly, interrupting the poor half giant's lessons by asking students questions that, no matter what they answered, she took in a negative light. Some of her questions were completely insensitive, such as when she asked Neville who he saw die. No sugar coating. Ryou's heart clenched for the other boy at having such a painful thing so nonchalantly thrown in his face.

She walked through the students one last time, her gross little smile vanishing when she spotted Ryou. She always frowned when she saw him attending a class, but for once she didn't say anything about him. The spirit was under the impression it was because the little b-witch wanted them to get maimed by one of the creatures out here. Ryou turned his gaze downward, not wanting the professor to see any hint of Koe's dark glare through his eyes.

It seemed like an eternity before the witch finally left, but at long last the lesson could continue.

0

Even after the class had ended a full half hour later and the group of four was heading towards their next class, Hermione was still visibly broiling at Umbridge's display. She was ranting on and on about the 'old gargoyle'.

"Umbridge said they were dangerous," Ron said with a shrug, though Hermione was quick to shoot down that preposterous notion with similar words to Ryou's own thoughts earlier that day. She continued on, her stream of words the only thing breaking through this frigid air as they walked through student made paths engraved through the deep snow.

"They are very interesting, aren't they? The way some people can see them and some can't? I wish I could," she rambled, but at last someone cut off her mile a minute talking.

"Do you?" Harry asked, his voice quiet and yet un-ignorable. Hermione stopped, realizing what it was she was really wishing for.

"I'm sorry, no of course I don't. That was a really stupid thing to say."

"It's okay, don't worry," Harry said quickly, understanding the slip and pushing it aside. Death wasn't really a topic he wanted to dwell on.

"I'm surprised so many people could see them. Three students…and…" began Ron, turning a curious look Ryou's way, though the whitenette was quick to look elsewhere, teeth clenched as he followed behind them without a word.

"Yeah, Weasley, we were just wondering," came a voice from the side. Usually Ryou would have been glad there was something to distract the ginger from pushing any questions he probably wanted to ask that Ryou didn't want to answer, but this distraction wasn't a particularly welcomed one.

"D'you reckon if you saw someone snuff it you'd be able to see the Quaffle better?" snickered Draco Malfoy as he and his two lackeys pushed past the group on their way to class. Ryou frowned as he was elbowed into the snow, where he sat staring at their backs. That was just uncalled for and talking in such a lackadaisical way about death was just wrong.

/That boy has two strikes…. One more and I won't be so….passive./

Ryou gulped and shivered as Harry helped him up from the snow.

"Just ignore them," Hermione called as she waved her wand, producing a pleasant warmth around the group to help chase away the winter bite and melt the snow. Ryou let that warmth engulf him for a moment before he continued on, following the trio before him towards the greenhouses.

"By the way, Ryou, will you be coming with us this weekend?" Hermione asked out of nowhere. Ryou cocked his head, not sure what exactly she was talking about.

"Anou…what's this weekend?" he asked. Hermione tilted her head before glancing at Harry. He seemed just as confused before realization lit his eyes.

"Oh, I never did tell you about that," Harry said as he faced Ryou. "This weekend we're going to go to Hogsmeade. You remember that little town we passed when you got here?" Ryou gave a nod, which was Harry's sign to continue.

"Right, well the students get to visit every now and again to do some shopping and just…enjoy ourselves. It's usually pretty fun and the whole town is magic, so I'm sure you'll like it," he spoke with confidence and was smiling encouragingly at Ryou. Well, visiting town did seem like it would be fun, so why not? Ryou smiled and nodded.

"Sure, I'd love to come," he replied as he sped up his steps a bit to walk closer to the group. The town had intrigued him when he walked by it so many weeks ago. He vaguely recalled the moving signs and fabulously decorated window displays. It had been too early in the morning for the stores to be open, so he could only imagine what the place looked like when it was bustling with activity. It was making him excited.

"Great. Then Ron and I will meet you in the hospital wing Saturday morning. We've got to walk there, so you'll want to wear the scarf you got from the Quidditch game," Harry said as they made their way into the greenhouse.

Ryou's smile lit up his face as he nodded yet again. He couldn't wait until this weekend. He could already tell it was going to be an exciting day.


	21. Mage Motive

When the weekend finally arrived, Ryou was up and ready long before Harry and his friends came to collect him. Wearing his borrowed robes and Gryffindor scarf, the trio found him waiting by the door talking to himself in his excitement.

“Ryou!” 

The boy looked up at Harry’s call, smile spreading across his face as he all but bounced his way over to them. Harry snickered as he watched his white haired friend.

“Excited, then?” he asked as the group of four headed down towards the castle entrance where all the students were gathering for the outing. Ryou blushed, ducking his face down, hidden behind his hair, which only made the other three chuckle. It was understandable. Each of the other three youths had experienced the same rush of excitement their first time to Hogsmeade, though technically this wouldn’t be the first time Ryou was physically there. Still, it would be the first time he really got to experience it.

As they got in line, Ryou noticed Professor McGonagall at the front taking little slips of paper from the younger students. A quick explanation from Hermione gave Ryou the information of the third years and their permission slips. He was old enough to not need permission, however he had a heavy feeling in his chest that had he been a third year here at Hogwarts, had he been a student here from the start, he wouldn’t have gotten his permission slipped signed in time. Or at all for that matter.

/We still would have gone, Yadonushi. I’m sure a castle like this is riddled with secret passages./

Ryou didn’t respond to the spirit. He knew Koe was just trying to bait him, as usual, with the thought of breaking school rules….but had he been in that situation, would he have given in to temptation and just snuck out?

He jerked his head up and out of his thoughts as Harry gave a light tug on his arm. The walk down to the actual town was surprisingly fast thanks to the idle chatter of the group and Ryou was more than happy to just listen in. Occasionally he would be prompted for some input himself, but his knowledge on their magic was too limited to contribute much. It was, however, enough to steer their conversation and they kept their topics on things Ryou showed interest in such as mythical creatures that weren’t so mythical, enchanted trinkets and toys made by Ron’s older brothers, and the apparently amazing sweets shop in Hogsmeade that Ryou simply had to check out.

It turned out that ‘amazing sweets shop’ would be the first thing on their list of places to see. The small group of four stood outside the already busy Honeydukes, Ryou gazing at the window shops where taffy was stretching and making itself without any type of human help, the ingredients just floating in midair. 

“Here, Ryou. It’s wizard money,” came a voice from his side and he turned to see Harry handing him a small brown bag.

“Oh Harry, I couldn’t,” Ryou protested instantly, but Harry pushed the money into his hands anyway.

“Come off it, Ryou. Harry’s got plenty to spare,” Ron chipped in, turning his attention to the shop window when he caught Hermione giving him a disapproving frown.

“Ryou, trust me, this is no problem. Besides. What’s the fun of shopping if you can’t buy anything?” he asked with a smile. Of course Ryou didn’t know Harry was practically oozing galleons in the wizarding world, and Harry had to pull out his own bag of money – far larger – to finally get that guilty look to leave the other’s face.

Still, Ryou resolved to use as little as possible as well as repaying every sickle spent.

Inside, the aisles required a bit of finesse to traverse, and not due to the layout of the store. Students were packed inside, grabbing sweets and treats off the walls like starving children. Yet the candies seemed never ending on their racks and in their constantly overflowing baskets. Ryou just wanted to hold a basket upside down and see if candy would ever stop falling out.

/Or it wouldn’t fall at all, Yadonushi. Perhaps a spell is on them to stop them from spilling. The floor is clean./

“Really?” Ryou gasped at the idea and instantly looked at the ground. True enough, the floor was spotless. 

“Ryou! You HAVE to try these,” Harry said as he brought over a handful of something small brown and…were those legs? Ryou made a surprised sound audible only to dolphins at the sight of cockroaches nestled in Harry’s hand. Which of course made the other laugh and shake his head, holding one up. Ryou sighed. Why would anyone make candy in the form of a roach? He wasn’t particularly scared of them, but they certainly weren’t a welcome sight in his home. Especially in the kitchen. They weren’t the only odd treats he found in the store. There was a collection of chocolate frogs jumping around a glass container with the help of an ‘endless hopping charm’, blood red lollipops that were actually made of blood, six foot long gummi snakes that hissed when you walked by, and a collection of what looked like candy legos that kept rebuilding themselves into various shapes. Once, the lego candies even shaped into a plane and flew about the store.

Ryou didn’t bother with any of the fancy treats, choosing instead to purchase a few of the less magical (and less likely to run away) sweets. A few chocolate frogs, licorice wands, sugar quills, and a pack of bubble gum that changed flavors at just a thought sat on the counter when he was being rung up. He pulled out the requested galleon and three sickles*, taking the bronze knuts he received as change and plopping them into the bag Harry had given him. Hermione brought her purchases up next, but not before giving Ryou a curious stare.

0  
The trio plus one wandered around for quite a while, Ryou wanting to stop and at least glance in the window of every store they passed. He did his best to suppress that urge after he caught Ron rolling his eyes upon him jumping to go see the common black and gray wizard hats at Gladrags Wizardwear.  
/If the red head is bothering you, Yadonushi…. I’m sure we can do something about it in that Hog’s Head place….or perhaps that building up on the hill your little play toys think is haunted./  
Ryou sighed, taking a seat as they entered a cozy little pub called The Three Broomsticks. The spirit’s interest in this magical town was higher than he wanted to admit. Otherwise he wouldn’t even be paying attention to what Ryou was doing at all, Ryou was sure.  
/Oh nonsense, Yadonushi. I’ll always watch over you. Protect you from harm./

Ryou scoffed at that, almost seeing the smirk on the spirit’s face. If that meddling Egyptian voice had any real intention of protecting Ryou, then he wouldn’t have found blood pops in his pockets or jumped 5 feet in the air when he opened his bag of sweets and saw those candied roaches inside. It was like the spirit was determined to get him arrested by the wizard cops or something.

/We’ve been over this, Yadonushi. I do not get caught./

“You will…eventually,” he mumbled.

“What’s wrong?” asked a curious Hermione, jerking Ryou from his mental chit chat and catching the frizzy haired brunette’s intense gaze. He blushed and shook his head.

“Oh…. I was just thinking about spirits. Anou….do you really think that ….anou…. shack place you mentioned really has ghosts inside?” he asked, giving Hermione a genuine look of curiosity, but the little witch just gave a noncommittal shrug. 

“No ghosts. It used to have a werewolf though.”

Three sets of eyes turned to stare at Harry Potter, two in surprise, one in excitement. Harry smirked, knowing damn well that the truth behind that old house wasn’t common knowledge and he wasn’t sure if Lupin, the werewolf in question, really wanted Ryou to know… but then Lupin didn’t know Ryou and probably never would. So what was the harm? Especially since Ryou loved this type of thing. He took a sip of butterbeer as it was brought to the table, grinning at his friends. 

“We usually stop by the Shrieking Shack anyway, so we’ll check it out after this.”

And that was just what they did. Within the hour, Ryou was bouncing on the heels of his feet at the gate to the creaky old house up on the hill. His fingers curled around the iron bars of the rusted old fence, curious eyes peering into the overgrown garden that covered the vast stretch of land between the gate and the house itself. Calling it a garden was a bit of a stretch though. There were no flowers or pretty little decorations. The grass was long and browned, trampled in parts as if something ran through multiple times, and torn up in other spots. The trees around the house were long dead, their branches brittle and splintered. But there was life beyond the gate. Thick ivy curled and slithered its way up the shack, digging its roots into any cracks and crevices in the walls and over time, forcing the great structure apart with its sheer force. 

Ryou smiled.

“It’s beautiful,” he said as his eyes roved over worn out wooden shutters that were opening and closing in the wind, letting an eerie howl fill the air as the world’s breath tried its hardest to rip them from their hinges.

“Beautiful? You’ve got a funny taste in scenery. The place is downright ghastly,” Ron spoke up, frowning at the old building and shivering at the memories it contained. Nothing too pleasant, what with his leg being torn up and his rat turning out to be the bad guy. Ron held no fond memories of the musty old building, and he wasn’t going to gain any today either. He knew that the instant he saw a flash of light shoot by his face and explode against that rusting iron gate.

The spell landed a mere inch away from Ryou’s face and he fell backwards in surprise, landing in the dirt. Wide eyes turned to see a team of two people coming towards them, all dressed in black with their faces concealed. It was too eerily similar to the events that happened back when Ryou was in the hospital not too long ago. He quickly scrambled to his feet as Harry Potter stepped in front of him, wand drawn.

“Give it here and you won’t get hurt, little boy,” sneered a voice from behind a skull shaped mask. These were the Death Eaters. Ryou knew that in an instant. He stepped closer, but was soon blocked by Ron and Hermione who had drawn their own wands and were standing beside Harry protectively.

“What do you want? We don’t have anything you couldn’t get from those shops down there,” Hermione barked, showing her fighting spirit as she glared at the black cloaked attacker. Then all four of them were hitting the ground, Ryou dragged down by Harry just as a spell went soaring overhead, splintering and destroying a tree behind him.

“Hand over the Shadow Mage!” the wizard yelled as another spell flew through the air. Ryou was utterly confused for two reasons: One being the Death Eater’s words and the other being the twinge of recognition from his second mind. The tomb raider was listening intently now.

“We don’t have whatever that is. Just leave us be,” Harry barked at the man, but a laugh sounded behind them. Ryou spun around so his back was to the trio and found himself staring at two more rather aggressive looking wizards. Both of them had their wands pointed his way too. The younger students were quickly shuffling towards the trees, where they wouldn’t be sitting between two enemies. That was never ideal.

“Oh dear boy, you don’t know just how bad a situation you’re in right now. But we’ll be merciful. Give us the mage, and you and your friends can go safely back to your little school. Fight and you won’t survive the night.” The speaker held out his hand towards Ryou, who instantly backed up a step. Apparently whatever they wanted was from him. Did they know about the millennium ring?

If that was what they were after, there was no way he could give it to them. He didn’t want to even imagine what they could do with the spirit’s powers….nor what the spirit might do to them.

“Not on your life. Expelliarmus!” 

Ryou’s attention snapped back to the scene as a blast shot from Harry’s wand. The death eater laughed as he swatted it away with a shield charm and launched a counter-spell of his own. Luckily Hermione had the group covered with a strong shield charm, but the fifth year student, no matter how brilliant she might be, wouldn’t be able to keep this up for too long. Even with them rolling, dodging, and casting spells, once the other death eaters had begun to join in the attack, it became far too uneven to have any hopes of winning.

“Harry. We need to run for it. If we get back to the village, there will be too many people for them to attack us,” Ryou said quickly as Hermione blocked another spell. Harry tugged the white haired target back behind a tree while Ron and Hermione took shelter behind a nearby rock.

“He’s right Harry. The sooner we get back to the town, the safer we’ll be,” Hermione said as she ducked to avoid a splattering of debris. The death eaters were laughing as they slung their spells. They clearly weren’t taking this seriously at all.

“Well that’s great and all, but what do you expect us to do? Just run?” Ron asked, ever the helpful tactician.

“We don’t have much of a choice,” Harry grimaced, after jumping to the side behind a new tree to avoid the splintering remnants of his original cover. Ryou winced as the raven pulled a small shard of tree out of his arm and tossed it to the side. All three of the magic users were already panting as they ducked, dodged, and sent spell after spell up just to keep the attacks from the death eaters at bay. Then here was Ryou, unable to do anything.

Or could he?

“Harry, they’re after me, right? The town isn’t that far away.”  
/Yadonushi, be quiet./  
“ We can make it if we split up. I’ll go one way, you guys go the other.  
/You won’t even make it ten feet./  
“They’ll follow me instead.”  
/If you’re going to make a plan, use the Potter brat as bait, not yourself. Foolish Yadonushi./

Ryou could feel the spirit’s anger at his horrible ‘self sacrifice’ plan, but luckily for the spirit, Harry was instantly shaking his head no. 

“Are you crazy? How could that possibly be a good idea?” his friend argued, even as they ducked down to avoid another blast. The longer this fight dragged on, the more spread apart the group was getting. Ron and Hermione had dove in the complete opposite direction, and Ryou had no idea what rock or stump they were taking shelter behind now.

“Harry, just trust me. If we run in a group, we’ll just be a giant target!” Ryou pointed out, desperation in his voice. But Harry didn’t get the chance to retort. A shadow loomed over them, and their eyes shot up to meet the grinning face of a man dressed in black.

“Well what do we have here? Two little rabbits just waiting to be snared,” the man chortled as he raised his wand and sent out a silent curse. At this distance, the young wizard had little time to react and could only duck for cover. Thankfully, or rather, amazingly, that was all it took to dodge, for when Harry looked up, Ryou was on top of him, just as untouched by magic as well. The death eater meanwhile had stumbled back, almost as if he was surprised by something. What it was, Harry had no clue, but he was glad to take advantage of it and send a spell the death eater’s way.

The two boys scrambled to their feet and Harry turned to Ryou, hair a mess and body high on adrenaline.

“No splitting up. We run together, and we run NOW!” he yelled, loud enough for his voice to echo through the trees. He darted towards the path that led to Hogsmeade, grabbing Ryou by the wrist to pull him along. The second he stepped onto the path, he was greeted by the welcomed sight of Ron and Hermione, but he frowned, noting that Hermione was bleeding slightly on her shoulder and Ron was down a wand. Oh Ron’s mother would not be pleased to find out Ron would need another wand replaced.

The group didn’t say a word as they joined together and raced down the path, slipping and stumbling but not daring to let that stop them. But where nature failed, wizard didn’t. The group of four nearly ran straight into the two death eaters that seemed to almost appear out of thin air right in front of them. Harry raised a wand and backed up, but two more death eaters caught up behind them, thoroughly surrounding them. It might have been four against four, but only two of the kids were armed with wands. 

“Come now, boy, we just want the shadow mage. Had you behaved, you could have all escaped this without a scratch. But now…”

Ryou Bakura reacted the instant the death eater began saying ‘crucio’. He shoved harry down and out of the way before he made a run towards the wizard. Since he lacked a wand, he made due with a fist and sent it flying at the masked man’s face. Sharp brown eyes turned to the trio behind him before he took off into the woods. As expected, the three uninjured death eaters instantly took chase. The fourth cursed as he held his face and turned his wand towards Harry, Ron, and Hermione to vent his rage. 

“You three will take his punishment. Avada Ka—” the man began only to be shot ten feet into the air, crashing against a rock further up the trail.

“Potter, Granger, Weasley. Get behind me,” called a woman’s voice as an emerald robed witch quickly made her way up the hill, wand at the ready. The death eater barely managed to get to his feet before the powerful witch sent another spell his way, turning the man into a temporary sky ballerina, spinning and flipping through the air until his inevitable crash landing. 

“Professor McGonagall! They went after Ryou!” Harry quickly informed his head of house, and the professor gave a nod. 

“Stay here,” she ordered, and soon took off towards the trees. The golden trio looked at each other before taking off after her seconds later. 

Ryou Bakura raced through the shadowed trees, nimbly eluding his pursuers despite not knowing the terrain. Spell after spell impacted trees and rocks around him, while on the rare occurrence, a spell would seem to skew to the side just enough to miss. The boy smirked when this happened. But he couldn’t do this forever. He stopped short, rolling to the side to face the three death eaters. But he soon found his actions were unnecessary from this point on. A beam of light shot out from the trees, colliding with one of his enemies and sending him crashing into another. The death eaters re-focused their attentions on the third party, giving Bakura the chance to scram. He was ducking back through the trees when he nearly crashed into Potter and his lackeys.

“Ryou!” Harry gasped, “Thank god you’re ok! Professor McGonagall must’ve made it in time.” Harry looked at his friend, who was just standing there, staring at him with a frown and …. Annoyance? Maybe? He wouldn’t figure it out. Ryou had turned his head in the direction of the fight. If it could even be called that anymore. It was laughably one sided thanks to the surprise attack from the transfiguration instructor, who had transfigured the trees to grab and imprison two of the death eaters already. They disapparated away with a subtle crack, abandoning the third death eater to fight alone.

“Hmph. My my, how noble of them…” noted Bakura as he watched quietly from the sidelines, his voice rather mocking considering his usual gentle demeanor. Then a smirk fell on his face as the teacher was blasted back for a moment, only to retaliate in a second. Now it was a true battle. It was fleeting though, for soon another low crack hissed through the air as the third attacker fled. Harry went rigid and quickly pulled at Ryou’s arm to get him to move before McGonagall saw them. The group of four retraced their steps, with Ryou lagging behind quite a bit as the other three talked rapidly amongst themselves with a conversation Bakura couldn’t be bothered with. 

Harry paused and looked back at his friend once they were back on the path, letting Ron and Hermione go on ahead now that the danger had passed. “Ryou… they didn’t hurt you, right? You seem…distant,” he said, tone careful as if he was handling a newborn baby or something. But he didn’t get an embarrassed frown and apology like he’d usually get. Just a blank, neutral stare. It was only after a long few seconds that a smile finally graced his face, and a fake half chuckle escaped his lips. The kind that wasn’t from humor, but just a noise to fill the silence. And for some reason, it made Harry’s skin crawl.

“I’m fine. I don’t have a scratch on me,” Ryou replied, holding out his arms to show his unscathed form.

Then Harry was splattered with blood and Ryou’s eyes widened in shock as he fell to the ground.

A shrill laugh filled the air and Harry looked up just in time to get blasted away. He thudded to the floor a good ten feet away and panted as he slowly pushed himself to his hands and knees, head whipping around to see a death eater with a bloodied mask and torn up clothes grabbing Ryou by the hair and yanking him up.

“And now, you little ass, you’re coming with me,” The man growled as he glared at the white haired boy now tainted red. Ryou’s breathing was shallow and his eyes narrow, a pained pant coming from him. Still the boy managed to fist his hands and fight the man with his bare hands, making his injuries gush fresh blood. Harry grew angrier and angrier at the sight and yelled stupefy, the spell soaring towards the death eater and Ryou. The death eater looked up just in time to see the attack and threw Ryou into the line of fire, letting the now stunned and bleeding boy collapse unmoving to the dirt. 

“You’ve only made my job easier, brat,” he hissed as he raised his wand towards a shocked Harry Potter, but he did not get the chance to attack. Once again a life saving, powerful witch intervened.

“Leave those boys alone,” yelled Minerva McGonagall, waving her wand and sending a gust of wind to blow the already worn out man backwards. Harry ran to Ryou’s side, frantically trying to stop the bleeding from the multitudes of cuts that littered his body. His professor stood protectively in front of him, and he looked up, aiming his wand at the death eater who was howling with rage. Then, finally, he turned with a loud crack and vanished.

But Harry wasn’t going to let out a breath of relief just yet.

“Professor. Professor, he’s hurt badly,” he blurted, looking up at McGonagall, even as the wise witch was bending down to look at the damage. 

“Out of the way Potter. I will handle this,” instructed the witch.

“Harry! Oh Harry, what happened?” 

Harry turned to find Hermione and Ron staring in shock, a few other students and professors trailing up the path behind them. Ron had his wand back. The two must have gone to look for it after they thought everything was okay.

“There was one more…Professor, is he going to be okay?” Harry looked to his head of house, whom had been joined by another teacher and the two were picking Ryou up. She turned to Harry as the other quickly left, making haste to get Ryou some medical treatment.

“He should be fine, Potter. But this trip is over. Stay together, all of you,” she said, addressing not just the trio, but the flock of curious bystanders that had come over.

The Hogsmeade trip was abruptly ended, and the students filed back to school early talking only of the rumors that the white haired friend of the boy who lived was seriously injured.

0

Harry frowned as he sat in the hospital room, watching as Madam Pomfrey removed the bloodied bandages from Ryou’s arms and inspecting the cuts. Ryou’s body was oddly slow to heal considering how fast magic usually mended wounds, but with the nurse’s spells and salves, every cut that had littered his body was quickly vanishing within just a few hours, leaving not even a scar to remind them of the incident. And despite Ryou’s smile and wave in Harry’s direction, he felt guilty for hitting Ryou with a spell, even though it wasn’t even the spell that hurt him so badly.

Ron was sitting on an empty bed, idly swinging his legs and tracing the grooves on his wand. He was relieved he hadn’t lost or broken it after being disarmed in the trees, and he had stopped trying to console Harry about the whole thing with Ryou, since talking to Harry was like talking to a pile of bricks sometimes. 

Hermione stood beside Harry, watching Ryou with a sad expression. But Harry was caught off guard as her eyes suddenly flickered with confusion and curiosity. Harry followed her gaze and watched as Madam Pomfrey looked down at Ryou’s freshly unbandaged chest, concern on her face as her fingers moved over five small scars on his chest. 

“That’s strange… there shouldn’t have been any scars at all with the treatment I gave you. Do they hurt, dear?” she asked, but Ryou shook his head, blushing faintly.

“No no, those are old. I got them a few years ago in the not magic world,” Ryou quickly explained, though he left out that they were obtained through magical means. Assuming a spirit possessed golden artifact counted as a magical attacker, anyway.

Ryou assured the nurse it was fine and thanked her as he made haste to tug on a shirt and cover his exposed stomach. He slid the millennium ring over his head and tucked it away under his shirt. He really didn’t care if magic couldn’t get rid of those scars. He’d been living with them long enough to not even notice them that much anymore. What he really wanted to know was why he had woken up covered in cuts and blood in the first place. The last thing he remembered was running for his life with Harry, Ron, and Hermione in Hogsmeade. 

Ryou slid out of bed and got one last look over by the nurse before finally getting the ok to go. He made his way over to Harry with a smile, while his friend attempted to give one back.

“Are you ok?” Harry asked, even though he had been watching Ryou’s checkup himself. Sure, he wasn’t present when the bloody mess of a boy was getting all those cuts healed up and wrapped, but he saw for himself that he didn’t have a mark on him anymore.

Well. Marks from the death eaters anyway.

“I’m perfectly fine, Harry, please don’t worry about me,” Ryou assured him, and Ron scoffed at that, earning a confused glance from Ryou. Ron caught the glance and just shook his head, smiling. 

“Told ya, Harry. Nothing’s wrong with him. You did all that freaking out for nothing,” Ron stated in a flat tone – the voice of a boy who’d been trying to get this concept across for an hour now. Harry only frowned at him.

“Ryou? If you don’t mind me asking… those scars on your body…” Hermione began rather suddenly. She wasn’t just stopping a potential fight from breaking out either. Her curiosity was far too big for her own good. 

“Oh, anou….” Ryou blushed, fidgeting slightly and playing with his shirt where he could feel the ring resting underneath, tines matching up perfectly with those scars. “I got them in the … muggle?” he started, glancing at Harry to make sure he used the right word. At the nod, Ryou turned back to Hermione to continue. “In the muggle world, at home. It was… an accident.”

Sure it was. As much of an accident as the scar on his shoulder and the stab wound on his hand. The real accident was putting the ring on in the first place. He clearly hadn’t learned his lesson either since he was still wearing the accident around his neck at this very moment and had once again awoken with injuries. Hermione was bright enough to pick up that it was a topic Ryou would rather not talk about. Still, Ryou could tell she wanted to know more details. Did it count as lying if he omitted the truth? He looked down at the floor and continued to play with the hem of his shirt rather than speak anymore.

Hermione watched Ryou, waiting, but dropped the subject when he didn’t continue. Besides. The scars weren’t nearly as important as the questions about what they learned after today’s incidents. They learned about the death eaters’ motives. Now they knew the name of what they were after…. But knowing what they wanted wasn’t going to get them anywhere if they didn’t know what exactly it was. 

“Question. Does anyone here know what, exactly, the shadow mage thing they were looking for was?” Ron asked, voicing the very thing Hermione was wondering. The words sounded so familiar to the brunette. She was scanning the books she had read in her mind. Yes, the term was most definitely in one of the texts in her room. 

“I swear I’ve read about it somewhere. I’ll go through my books, and we can check the library. Surely there’s something more we can learn,” she said, but Ron groaned at the idea. He wasn’t a big fan of studying. Harry didn’t give much of a response, and Ryou merely gave a nod. He was just as curious as Hermione was about this. Shadow Mage sounded awfully close to shadow game. If that was the case, then those death eaters really were after his millennium ring. It made him queasy just thinking about it. Something Harry caught.

“It’s late….we’ll do it tomorrow. Ryou should sleep anyway,” Harry added the last bit in after getting a look from the school nurse. She apparently agreed it was time for her patient to rest. So the group agreed. The plan for tomorrow was studying and reading in the library. It didn’t sound like the most exciting way to spend a Sunday, but the sooner they understood their enemy, the sooner they could defeat him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *1 galleon and 3 sickles is approximately 12 US dollars, 6 UK pounds, or 9 Euros (rounded up)


	22. Finders Keepers Finders Weepers

Hours had gone by in silence. Stacks and stacks of books sat on tables, some open and spread out for the students looking through them. Hermione was tearing through page after page, curiosity mixed with frustration as she read. Ron and Harry had given up by book ten and were trying hard to keep paging through these old books, but Harry found he had been on the same page of his current book for near an hour now. Ron was laying his head down on his book, casually flicking a piece of paper poking out of one of the books. Harry glanced at Ryou. His muggle not muggle friend was still diligent in his reading, though he wasn’t nearly as fast as Hermione, and not even half as frustrated by their lack of progress. 

So far, scouring the library for ‘shadow mage’ information had come up with very little. If the phrase did happen to be in a book, it was only mentioned and never explained or expanded on…and it was rarely mentioned in any books. A dark arts book and a few history books. Ryou had been paging through Egyptian books but hadn’t spoken up about finding anything.

Harry let out a sigh as he leaned back in his chair. 

“This book says Shadow Mages aren’t real. They’re just a legend told to scare kids at night.”

The white haired boy’s voice was so quiet Harry had almost missed what he said. He immediately looked up until 3 sets of eyes were on Ryou. Ryou blushed and put the book softly on the table. The words were gibberish to Harry….this book wasn’t in English.

Hermione immediately came over to scan the pages, blinking in surprise. It took her a moment to decode before she just sat down to page through it.

“Egyptian history… what made you choose this book?” Hermione asked Ryou as she glanced at him. The other just gave a shrug. “Chance?” he offered, though Hermione just looked at him a moment too long before looking away. Ryou had a feeling she knew he was lying but she had no way to prove it. But what was he supposed to say? A psychotic Egyptian spirit in his head used shadow magic, so shadow mages were probably psychotic Egyptians? That….didn’t sound too reassuring to Ryou.

“Hmmm….these runes….they’re old, but written as if they’re recounting something even older. Darkness from their fingertips; shadows with monsters and nightmares. Dead unto dust, light purged and locked, we pray to the gods to keep the nightmares away….Hmmm. It goes on to explain that this was a phrase that was popular to pray before bed time during the time right after the unknown era. It is believed to be about shadow mages, which were at their peak during the unknown era but were deemed extinct after the next named pharaoh took power. Many believe that the shadow mages did not truly exist, and that it is simply a term for dark wizards from a dark era,” Hermione read aloud. She stopped there since the book simply went on about other night time prayers rather than stick to the subject they actually wanted to know about. 

“Just one question. What is the unknown era? You’ve said it like 5 times now and I don’t have a clue what that is.”

“It’s the time of the unnamed Pharaoh’s rule,” Ryou explained, as Hermione gave a nod. This was something they learned in her Ancient Runes class too.

“Nobody knows what went on during the time. Very few if any pieces of history from the time period survived. The whole era is a big question mark to historians, both magical and mundane,” Hermione continued as she closed the book. “…. it makes sense. Some unknown magical power from an unknown era. Maybe Shadow Mages are the reason nothing remains from that time period. Maybe they really were all wiped out.”

“Or maybe they never really existed,” Ron offered but Harry was quick to shake his head.

“Voldemort wouldn’t chase after nothing. If he’s interested in it, then it existed…” he murmured before setting his eyes on Ryou. What was it that Ryou could do that Voldemort wanted? What was it that made him a shadow mage?

0

By lunchtime, Hermione had opted to stay in the library to do some more reading, but the boys had left the towers of books behind for some sustenance from the great hall. Talk had started off on what made a shadow mage a shadow mage, but soon changed topics to quidditch, then Christmas, then to Ryou’s apparent Christmas plans.

“I can’t just stay here at Hogwarts. My father promised we’d spend Christmas together, so I need to be home by then,” Ryou said softly as he took a sandwich from one of the many platters littering the table. 

“I’m all for spending Christmas with your family, but is it really the safest thing right now, what with you-know-who sending people after you?” Ron had assumed Ryou was going to stay at Hogwarts where it was safe. Well. Safer.

“Ron’s right, Ryou. Voldemort is powerful. If he wants something, he’ll kill anyone in his way to get it. Your father especially.”

/The boy doesn’t realize his Voldy lord is nothing. You know I will protect you, Yadonushi, so if you want to leave this castle, say the word and I’ll clear the path./

Ryou sighed and shook his head, putting his sandwich down. “…..Harry, I haven’t spent a Christmas with my father in years. As long as…anou…” he bit his lip, not to fond of saying the name. Names had magic in them too. “You-know-who doesn’t know where I live, it’s fine. If he knew that much, he would have gotten me sometime during the summer, right?” he smiled at his friend, but Harry was still unconvinced. 

“How you planning on getting back home anyway?” asked the ginger. He had brought up a very good point. Ryou tilted his head a moment and thought about it. 

“Well…how did you guys reach me in the hospital?”

“You can’t floo out of Hogwarts without the headmaster’s permission,” Ron replied, earning him an elbow to the side courtesy of one Harry Potter. Ryou merely seemed confused.

“Floo?”

0

Floo powder was an interesting thing to be sure. To teleport anywhere by being engulfed in flames. It was scary to think about…Ryou wondered what it felt like. But he doubted he’d experience it. The trio had explained that not all fireplaces were usable and that Hogwarts had many wards and protections to stop unwanted entry….and exit he supposed. Still, he was determined to get home for Christmas. He just had to. 

The white haired wonder sighed as he looked up and watched the students before him continue to practice their spells and enchantments. It was the last secret meeting before Christmas break and the young witches and wizards from every house were eager to test all that they had learned over the past few months under Harry’s careful watch. Duels were happening on the left, disarming practice on the right, boggart practice off to the side, levitation in the middle, and the most amazing of all, the patronus charm. Happiness turned tangible. It was the prettiest and warmest spell Ryou had seen Harry teach the young magicians and it fascinated Ryou to see what animals would appear. He wondered what animal he would have gotten if he was capable of such magic. 

His time with Dumbledore’s Army was always fun and exciting even if all he did was sit on the sidelines to watch. People even stopped giving him weird looks over time. He was just accepted and expected now. Some of the students even let him see their skills closer up, like the time a Ravenclaw named Luna had her bunny patronus race around Ryou in an upward spiral. Or the time the Hufflepuff Helen made him float with the levicorpus spell. Normally he loved it when he got to directly interact. 

Until today. When the room fell silent and he came face to face with a doe eyed white haired boy standing over him.

The sight confused him. He was staring at himself. He had let himself get distracted by his thoughts and hadn’t seen who conjured it or how, but he suddenly had a doppelganger that made him feel horribly uneasy. Quickly he glanced passed his double to Harry, but Harry looked just as confused. Ryou’s eyes went back to his copy as it bent down to him with a warm smile and held out its hand. Ryou’s eyes widened as the fingers uncurled around tiny figures like you’d see out of his Monster World board game. Tiny characters…but each and every one familiar. Yugi, Harry, his father, his little sister….his heart clenched the same moment his double’s fist did.

“I’m weak. Can’t save them. Could never save them,” Ryou heard his copy say. He dreaded what was in his fist now, staring at it as his heart beat faster. As the fingers uncurled again, the little characters were alive and in agony, screaming and reaching out for him. For help. 

“He’s uncontrollable. He’ll kill them all. I can’t stop him, he’s a murderer. Nobody needs me. Nobody wants me. Mom and Amane killed themselves just to get away from me,” rambled the copy, speaking fast as panic filled his eyes. He dropped the pieces to the ground and Ryou went to grab them, only for his panicking double to crush them under his foot. 

“No!” Ryou yelled, staring, hand trembling. Doubts and fear flooded his mind. 

/Yadonushi, pull yourself together./

Ryou’s hands flew to his head. That voice was going to be the death of everyone Ryou loved. There was nothing he feared more than losing people…being unable to protect them….or worse, being the reason they were gone forever.

Bakura stood up quite suddenly, looking angry. His double paused and faced him evenly, blinking large innocent eyes that soon started to water and tear up. “Tch. Your ramblings are foolish,” Bakura growled, but soon he held in a breath. His eyes widened at what happened to his landlord’s double. Thick metallic droplets started to trickle from his mouth, eyes, and nose. Droplets that were a swirl of gold tinted red. The liquid oozed from the copy’s pores and as the boy realized what was happening, he stared at his hands with wide eyes and screamed. It was a blood curling scream that caused many people in the room to put their heads down and cover their ears. It was the scream of a person whose skin was lit a fire by molten gold. Gold that was engulfing their entire body, thoroughly burning them from the outside in, burning so hot that flesh was liquefied at its touch.

Bakura’s shock turned to a deadly glare as he watched the illusion become completed coated in bloodied gold, yelling and screaming like the voices that haunted the thief’s nightmares. But he had grown past fear. He was above it. This was not real, and that was not his Yadonushi. That was just a thing that was going to die.

The lights went out and the students screamed.

0

Harry had been proudly watching over his students, amazed at how far they had come. Even Neville was capable of disarming an opponent now. Everyone had applauded him the first time it succeeded.

“Hey Harry, look this way for me,” called one of the twins. Harry couldn’t tell which. He glanced at the ginger, raised brow at what he expected to be some sort of shenanigan. 

“Fred and I have decided that your friend has won. No matter what we throw at him, he’s just not afraid. So … we’re cheating,” he said with a smile, patting Harry on the back. At first Potter was confused, but he spun around just in time to see the other Weasley twin sending a Ridikuloused boggart flying towards a lone pale boy by the door.

“What are you, mad? Ryou can’t defend himself from a boggart!” Harry cursed the twins as he shoved the one away and went heading for Ryou, but he paused. As did everyone. For the boggart had changed into Ryou himself. Ryou feared himself? No…surely not. The whitenette even caught Harry’s eye, looking just as confused as Harry felt. But then Harry saw fear enter his friend’s eyes, not at the boggart itself, but at what the boggart was holding. It was like Hermione’s fear then, when the boggart had changed into Professor McGonagall and handed her a failed test to show her fear of failing. Whatever Ryou feared wasn’t tangible.

Once the boggart started to yell and stomp around, speaking in some weird language, Harry pulled his wand out to intervene. This had gone on long enough. But before he could even get halfway across the room, the boggart had stopped and screamed something bloody horrible. He couldn’t help but flinch from the terrible cry, made worse from the smell of burning flesh. He forced himself to look up and regretted it immediately as he watched Ryou die in a most horrible way. Whatever that yellow liquid was melted the flesh from the bone…then the bones as well. It made Harry want to be sick right then and there. 

Then the lights went out and one scream was exchanged for a hundred as the Hogwarts students panicked. The lights had snuffed out all at once and the coldness of the room made him shiver. Not even moonlight seemed to penetrate the darkness, making it impossible to even see his hand in front of his face.

“Lumos!”

The voice was soft, gentle, and lit up a small part of the room around a glassy eyed blonde with radishes hanging from her ears. “I’d have to say. That wasn’t a very pleasant sight. I think it is my new fear to be burned alive in molten gold as well,” the voice said, still calm as ever. Slowly more wands began to light and the students calmed until the room was full of only quick breaths instead of screams. 

“Everyone. It’s alright. We all know that boggarts feed off of fear. Whatever we saw…wasn’t real,” Harry reminded everyone. Nobody spoke a word as they all looked to the shadows by the door where Ryou had been and when at last the lights returned, the spot by the door was empty and the door wide open. Harry sighed and lowered his wand.

“Well that was disappointing.”  
“Most unusable as well.”

Harry looked up at the twins with a scowl. They were leaning on each other, apparently unhappy with the results of their little trick.

“Calm down, Harry. We were expecting something like…a giant snake or anything really. We can all handle a little boggart. It’s not like it can actually hurt you.”  
“But being afraid to die isn’t a fear we can play with, George.”  
“I’m afraid you’re right Fred.”  
“Shame.”  
“Agreed. No Ryou special items at our little show tonight.”

Harry was about to yell and let loose his rage at those idiotic red heads before a tug on his sleeve made him whirl around to stare into the face of the ever serene Luna Lovegood.

“….Harry…what happened to the boggart?”

0

Ryou had been quick to leave the darkness behind, panting and sweating as hid himself away in a quiet place with few students – the library. He took deep breaths to steady himself.

“You killed it,” he murmured quietly, barely audible.  
/It frightened you, didn’t it? Isn’t it better now that it’s gone?/  
“It didn’t need to die…and you didn’t kill it for me. You killed it because it was right, wasn’t it? You’re going to be my friends’ ruin.”  
/Oh please, that stupid little display was your worst fear? Those nobodies you think are your friends? Yadonushi, it matters not that you can’t protect them. Their lives are forfeit anyway./

Ryou grit his teeth to stop himself from crying. He took another breath, reminding himself that the boggart was not real….but the fear it had brought to the surface was a genuine threat. The young boy stood up and immediately began looking through book after book. Section after section. For the most part, the spirit ignored his sudden gusto, but curiosity finally made him watch what his yadonushi was up to. Ryou had made quite a stack of books to read, varying in topics from ancient Egyptian curse breaking to sealing dark items. History books, theory books, and practical books. Books of every kind with one purpose in mind.  
Even after he had gotten all of those books down, he was still shaking when he opened the first page.

/Trying to seal any millennium item, let alone me, is foolish, Yadonushi. You should just accept fate and throw away those who do not matter. Potter is an A’ars anyway. You don’t need him, the pharaoh’s cheerleaders, nor your father. He’s never around for you anyway, sweet little Yadonushi. But I am. I am the one you can trust. The only one./

Ryou shook his head before reaching for the strap and tugging the ring off from around his neck. He put it on the table and pushed it away.

“Trust you…you want to kill my friends. I can’t trust you. You need to be sealed away so you don’t hurt anyone anymore. You need to be banished to the shadows forever, where you belong.”

/I am your only real friend, Yadonushi. The others will throw you away and don’t really care for you. You are their convenience friend – only in their circle when they have need of you. I grant your wishes though, Yadonushi…/

Ryou shook his head and stacked books up between himself and that lying piece of deadly gold to try to block out the voice. Cut the connection until silence was the only reply to his thoughts. Then at last he was able to bury himself in those books, desperately seeking any magical solution to his problem….seeking anything that will help him understand what he was supposed to do.

As hours ticked by, Ryou’s heart and mind calmed considerably. His thoughts became clearer and his determination to get rid of the spirit less intense. The castle was dark. He must have fallen asleep at some point in his panicked reading spree too. His eyes flitted across the page of his most recent book. The sealing methods and dark arts described didn’t seem like they’d work on the ring anyway. He was wasting time, he knew, especially since even if he did find something in these tomes, he wouldn’t have the heart to destroy the spirit nor the ring. The spirit…even though it was the spirit of a dark hearted thief…was a person. A real person. And Ryou was no murderer…nor would he wish a lifetime living in the Shadow Realm to anyone. 

“Koe…my friends are real…and I won’t let you hurt them. But you can live in this world too you know. Without hurting anyone. Enjoying life like Yugi and his spirit. When you aren’t taking over my mind and forcing me to do horrible things… you’re not as bad as the Pharaoh says. Not to me, and I know it’s because you need me…but if you can just…koe?”

Ryou frowned. He was used to the spirit ignoring him but something felt off. As if the spirit wasn’t even able to hear him. He pushed the books aside, and in an instant his heart froze in his chest.

The ring was gone.

0

The spirit of the ring was not pleased. His foolish host body had to go and take a nap, leaving a beautiful ancient artifact in clear view of any who walked by. There was no bigger way to write ‘steal me’ on a big chunk of gold than that.

“I’m going to figure out all of your secrets. Just wait and see,” chuckled a young Ravenclaw named Aden Lackerman as he looked down at the sparkling piece of gold he had taken from a table stacked full to the brim with books. He hadn’t seen the sleeper nestled behind the wall of paper, and he was a firm believer of finders keepers.

/Return me at once, or perish/ the ring said for the fifth or sixth time already. Aden just laughed it off as he slipped the leather strap over his head, letting the metal fall to his chest. 

“That’s a strong ownership charm your old owner put on you. But I’m sure I can break it. I’m your master now,” he said, admiring the way the tines lifted and pointed back to the library. The young Ravenclaw could tell it was Egyptian in origin. Probably an artifact from the restricted section of the library magicked to point to where it was supposed to rest….and now it was his. He beamed as he patted the gold.

/This is your last warning, boy. You WILL obey me/

Aden wasn’t afraid. What could this necklace possibly due to him?

It was the wrong thought to think for even as he looked down at the ring, those tines he had admired previously suddenly rose and stabbed into his chest.

0

“I wonder what it was saying. The boggart. When it was speaking Japanese…”

Harry sighed as Hermione went through another Ryou theory. She was full of them whenever Ryou wasn’t actually around to hear her. She was curious about him, like everyone else in the school, but more in the way she was curious about some new book she discovered. He was a puzzle for her to decode.

“Then the boggart just up and vanishes, and we can’t find Ryou either. Harry, we’ve searched and asked about, and nobody has seen him since then,” Hermione said, voice more curious than concerned. Ryou wouldn’t have left the grounds, so he must be in the castle somewhere, and though she said they searched it hadn’t been for long. They were currently on route to the Gryffindor common rooms after dismissing the DA and checking the most likely spots to find a frightened muggle. Umbridge wasn’t going to make this easy if they ran into her, so they were trying to be discreet and avoid both the pink witch and her Inquisitorial squad lackeys, and the Maruader’s Map was going to make this search end far more quickly. 

“He was scared and he ran. There’s nothing magical about it. And we will find him. He has to be around here somewhere,” Harry replied, glancing into an empty room as they passed it and stepped onto one of the numerous moving staircases. He had forgotten just how big this castle was.

Just as the staircase clicked into place and the trio stepped up to head to yet an even higher floor, all three turned their heads at the sound of a loud scream. In seconds Harry was racing down the hallway towards the sound, stopping only when he saw a Ravenclaw making a mad dash, clawing at himself as he crashed into the walls before falling to the ground. There was blood on his fingers and along the walls where he ran into them.

“Bloody Hell, what happened?!” Ron asked as he walked over to the Ravenclaw and rolled him over. “Geeze, his skin feels like it’s on fire,” he added, shaking his hand out. The boy was sweating profusely, panting, and his eyes had rolled to the back of his head. “Harry! Look, it’s Ryou’s …. thing,” the red head pointed out the large golden charm now sticky and red. Hermione let out a gasp as she saw the scene. It was Harry who finally grabbed the ring on the Ravenclaw’s chest and pulled it out of him. The tines were smooth and came out easily, dripping small droplets of blood from the points.

“…who would do this?” Hermione asked as Ron and Harry hefted up the wounded student.

“Malfoy for one,” Ron offered. Hermione bit her lip nervously as she used her wand to turn the nearest plant into a thick cloth that wrapped around the Ravenclaw’s chest tightly. 

“Come on. The sooner we get him to the Hospital Wing the better,” Harry urged and they made hast, thanking all of the gods of all the religions in the world when the only people they encountered were a few gasping Hufflepuffs and Professor McGonagall – the latter of course escorted them the rest of the way to Madam Pomfrey. 

A few minor flesh wounds weren’t the worst thing that had happened to a student here, and the nurse was quick to start mending the deep cuts. With a wave of her wand and a few quiet words, the skin began to mend slowly into faint white scars with a hiss of pain from the waking Ravenclaw. The student was feverish and shaking in his pale skin, but already he was looking much better than he had been just five minutes ago. 

Then he was coherent enough to look around the room and his eyes fell on the ring still sitting in Harry’s hands.

“Get that thing away! It stabbed me! Get it away!” he barked, scrambling back in the bed as Madam Pomfrey grabbed at his arms to try to still him. Harry of course hid the ring behind him, not glancing to his right to meet the gaze of his head of house, knowing she was looking at him.

“Potter, while I thank you for your service in escorting Mr. Lackerman to the nurse, it would be best if you and your friends left now,” came the strong voice of professor McGonagall. Hermione gave a tug on Harry’s arm and he nodded, heading out the door with ring in tow. As soon as they were out of the professor’s sight, he held the ring in front of him and stared at it. The blood had started to crust on the tines and both Ron and Hermione were looking at it with a frown.

“Of course Umbridge wasn’t there to see whoever did it. Or she was and just didn’t care. I bet it was one of Malfoy’s lot. He knows this ring is Ryou’s. I bet he’s trying to get him in trouble,” Ron grumbled, tapping a clean spot on one of the tines as it rose and pointed to something beneath them. They already knew who it was pointing too. Hermione was giving the ring a scrutinizing look and keeping quiet as they followed where it lead them. They were barely down the third staircase when they spotted the scrawny little white haired boy frantically running down the hall. The ring gave a powerful tug towards the boy, causing Harry to stumble slightly.

“Ryou!” Harry called out, lifting the ring up, “It’s ok, we found it.”

Ryou’s eyes flooded with relief as he made haste to get to the trio short of breath and quickly took the ring from him. “Oh Harry, I thought…” he began, taking a pause to breath as well as notice the blood on the tines of the ring. His eyes instantly flickered to Harry’s chest, then Ron’s and Hermione’s in turn before returning to the ring. “Where did you find it?” he asked, hugging it close. 

“One of the students had it…how did you lose it?” Harry asked, deciding not to go into detail of said kid’s condition.

“I fell asleep in the library. When I woke up, it was gone. I was so worried something bad would happen,” Ryou sighed, tugging the strap over his head and following the trio as they started to walk. Hermione paused at a bathroom and waited, studying Ryou curiously. Ron was the only one confused as to why she’d pause at a men’s room, but followed Harry and Ryou inside anyway. 

“Ryou…about the boggart… sorry about that. The twins just…like to have fun too much at other’s expense,” Harry said softly as Ryou began to clean the blood off of the ring. It only took a few minutes to get it sparkling and soon enough they had rejoined Hermione.

“It’s fine Harry…it wasn’t real. But this is…how…how is the student doing? That you found this on? What happened, Harry, please tell me,” Ryou looked up with desperate eyes that Harry had a hard time refusing. 

“Malfoy stole your pointy necklace and stabbed a Ravenclaw with it is all. The other bloke is fine, being all patched up in the nurse’s office as we speak,” Ron summarized. Ryou only nodded, still not looking too comfortable with the whole situation. He tucked the still wet but clean ring under his shirt and folded his hands.

“We don’t know if it was Malfoy, Ronald, honestly. Ryou, about that ring of yours…” Hermione noted as the boys rejoined her, catching only Ron’s ridiculous answer to what was most likely a legitimate question.

“I’d like to check on the student if it’s ok. To make sure he’s alright,” Ryou murmured as he looked at the ground. Ron shrugged and Harry nodded and the troupe headed back down the hall. Hermione could only keep quiet as she frowned at the mysterious non student before her.

0

/I warned the brat, Yadonushi. He didn’t listen, so I made him listen. It was only a few nightmares and a couple minor flesh wounds. It would have happened anyway. You know only you can bear the ring./

That wasn’t entirely true. Yugi could too, as well as Malik.

/Bah. The Pharaoh’s pet is not worthy and the tomb keeper has enough voices in his head without a spirit to talk to./

Ryou sighed as he sat on a couch in the Gryffindor Common Room. Ron and Harry were sitting by the fire, doing late night homework, and Hermione was off studying in the library. They had gone to the hospital wing like Ryou had asked to check up on the boy the spirit of the ring had attacked, and he had just stood there watching quietly as they fixed him up. The wounds on his chest were slower to heal than normal according to Madam Pomfrey, but they healed all the same. Even the white scars faded from his body by the time the nurse was done. His temperature also returned to normal too, though the nurse insisted he stay overnight so she could make sure the fever did not return. Things seemed ok up until Ryou was saying his goodbyes to Harry and his friends and getting ready for bed himself. The moment he removed the ring to set it on the bedside table the Ravenclaw began to freak out, pointing at it and yelling incoherently.

And so, Ryou Bakura had won permission to stay in the Gryffindor Tower for the night. There was a guest bed in the fifth year’s room all ready and waiting by the time he arrived. He sat with his friends quietly for the majority of the night, reading their school books as they worked. He even ended up helping Ron with an essay at one point, since the ginger had completely neglected reading for the past few days. It was late when the two Gryffindors finally finished up and started to stack their supplies up. The common room was pretty much empty, save for the three of them. It was the creak of the door opening that made Ryou look up to spot Hermione returning, a stack of books cradled in her hand. He smiled pleasantly at her, but she clearly had her mind set on something. The bright young witch walked straight over to the table to drop her books, marched right to Ryou, grabbed his shirt and hefted it up. Ryou let out a small gasp, fidgeting to try to hide his bare chest.

“Hermione what— ” Harry began, but Hermione quickly cut him off.  
“Aden said he was stabbed BY the ring, not WITH the ring. Ryou has scars in the exact same places that the ring left on him too,” she released the ring from her grip and low and behold, each tine rested atop a faint white scar. Ryou finally managed to get his shirt free from Hermione’s grasp, or maybe she just let go, and quickly he covered up his scars and the stories they had to tell. 

“Well Ryou? You’re hiding something. What is that ring of yours? Why are you keeping something that does that to people?” 

Ryou fidgeted some more, eyes looking nervously at his hands. Finally he looked up to meet Hermione’s gaze, eyes calmed and cool, smile on his innocent face.

“It’s nothing to worry about. It’s just an anti-theft spell, to make sure nobody else wears it. The spell malfunctioned when it got me, but it’s worked since then just fine. My ring is just a normal piece of gold, Hermione. Really,” he said, voice like satin.

“That makes sense. I think,” Ron said, mind mulling it over before giving a nod. “Yeah.”

Hermione was less believing. “He’s lying Ron! If his wounds were magically healed, there’d be no scars, and how could he have cast a spell on the ring if he didn’t know magic even existed before he met Harry?” All the while, her gaze never left Ryou, and Ryou’s smile never faltered.

“I’m feeling tired. I can’t think straight….I’m sorry, but I’m going to go to bed,” Ryou said calmly, standing up and giving a little half assed bow before turning and heading up the stairs, leaving the trio with their thoughts.

“….He’s hiding something, Harry, and it has to do with that ring. I know it.” Hermione was still staring at the spot Ryou was last, eyes locked on the stairs. She started towards them.

“Hermione, you’re just being paranoid. That ring was a gift from his dad, it’s not …special or anything,” Harry replied, though you could tell from his tone that even he wasn’t that certain. He wanted to trust Ryou, he did, but things were just not lining up. “Besides…maybe he had a student here cast an anti-theft spell on the ring.”

“Harry, you’re not that stupid. His scars are old. He’s covering up for it for some reason. I want to know why,” Hermione insisted and the boys had no choice but to follow her up the stairs. As soon as they neared the door though, all voices fell quiet. They could hear faint mumbling from inside the room. Hermione put a finger to her lips as Harry rolled his eyes and the trio leaned against the door to listen.

“I guess… I can’t call you ‘Koe’ anymore…..”  
The words were faint and hard to make out, but Harry recognized one word.  
“Koe…Ryou’s talked to someone called koe before. But he said it was just a voice in his head,” Harry spoke quietly but Hermione still shushed him.

“Why…the points bloody?........ didn’t the ….. burn him like it ….. unworthy… I keep it then ….…..they wear it too long…will they die?”

There were sometimes large gaps between each spoken phrase. One thing was for certain and that was that Ryou was talking to someone. Talking to someone about something deadly.

“Who is he talking to? Neville and them are all at my brothers’ stupid candy exhibition,” Ron said as he stared at the door bewildered. “I dunno Harry…there’s something not right about Ryou. I know he’s your friend and all…” 

Hermione nodded her head in agreement, tugging them a bit away from the door. “Harry, I think….I think Ryou is dangerous. I’ve been doing some reading,” she began, ignoring the look Ron gave her at ‘some’, “and found something…something evil. A shadow mage is someone who uses shadow magic, and if the name is anything to go by, Harry…it can’t be good.”

Harry shook his head. “No. Ryou’s good, he’s not some…some dark wizard. He’s talking to himself, to figure things out is more likely,” he said, though still he doubted his own words. “Or maybe one of the others came back and he’s talking to Dean or Seamus,” though that was horrendously unlikely considering his friend’s shy nature.

“Harry, think about it. That strange ring of his, the wounds it makes, the fact that is has pointed to him magically despite him not knowing about magic, the disappearance of the boggart, his ability to see dementors…I think he uses dark magic. Or maybe someone is using it through him,” she insisted, only adding on the last bit because of the look Harry gave her, “Maybe he’s talking to that someone right now.”

Finally Harry reached for a piece of paper in his back pocket.

“I’ll prove it he’s talking to one of the other Gryffindors or something. I solemnly swear I’m up to no good,” he murmured, pressing his wand to the paper and watching as a map spread across it. He quickly folded the page back to the Gryffindor tower and pointed. “See, there’s….”

For a moment, all three of them stared confused at the paper, then at the door, then back at the map. The room on the magical parchment was empty. Ryou Bakura did not show up on the Marauder’s Map.


	23. Truths and Lies

The moment Ryou Bakura sat on the guest bed of Gryffindor Tower, his eyes softened and his calm and collected exterior crumbled back into insecurity. 

“Koe...They’re going to know you were lying. Maybe we should just tell them everything. They could help us if they knew. You know all about Shadow magic. If you let them know too…”

/Out of the question, Yadonushi. We don’t need their weak magic to protect us. I am capable of protecting us on my own./

Ryou sighed, slumping as he stroked the golden ring displayed on his chest. It was warm to the touch and as twisted as it was, he took comfort in it. 

“….what happened at Hogsmeade? When I blacked out? When I awoke, we were in the hospital and I was all bandaged already.”

/A fight, obviously Yadonushi. I kept you asleep since you would undoubtedly cry at the little scratches those foolish mortals gave the body./

“You protected me before…during Battle City. Yugi told me if you had stood on the sidelines, you would have won the match…so why did you protect me then?”

/It was too great a risk and the Pharaoh isn’t as noble as you think. If he had attacked, you would have died. I won’t let that happen, Ryou./

The use of his name, his actual name, made Ryou pause. 

/ He debated it, Yadonushi. The pharaoh, your supposed friend, debated killing you to win a card game. If I hadn’t stepped in to protect you, he might very well have. He did, after all, go through with the attack./ 

“…How did you protect me? I…remember being awake. Glimpses of a dragon. I thought I saw…” he began, eyes flickering down to the ring as the gold in the center shone just faintly. He had thought he saw the spirit himself, in person…but that had only ever happened once before, when the thief had taken over his body and trapped Ryou’s soul temporarily in a card. At battle city, however, he was in his own body. Just as he was thinking that he must have been seeing things, the spirit was there, before him, arms crossed and looking ever the twin to Ryou except with noticeable transparency.

Ryou gasped.

“You know the Pharaoh does this with his pet. Why are you so surprised to see I can too, Yadonushi? Anything the Pharaoh can do I can do better,” purred the ghost Ryou…or rather, the spirit of the ring. His voice held such disgust when he said ‘pharaoh’ that it was obvious even to Ryou that he said the word with no intentions of respect. “My soul took the blast from your beloved little Pharaoh. That is why you did not die.” 

A battle of souls…then that game took place twisted in the shadows. Ryou shivered at the thought. Shadow magic could tear a soul to pieces. He had no doubt he would have been lost for good if someone with such strong shadow magic as Yugi and his spirit had hit him.

Ryou’s thought made the spirit of the ring blink as if something just dawned on him. He turned from Ryou and began to pace, slowly, nothing touching his intangible form. His mind was buzzing with something, though Ryou didn’t know what. He could feel it even if he couldn’t hear it. 

“So I guess… I can’t call you ‘Koe’ anymore. Now that I can see you,” Ryou murmured as he watched the ghost pace back and forth in silent slow step.

/Call me what you’d like, it makes no difference to me, Yadonushi./  
The specter stopped and stood before him with a smirk, lips unmoving as the words rang through Ryou’s head. Ryou fidgeted once more and looked away, earning a chilling chuckle from the thief spirit. His fingers played with the tip of one of the points hanging from the ring, accidently pricking his finger and looking down as a small bubble of red dotted his finger tip.

“Koe….Why were the points bloody?” he asked quite suddenly, looking up at the spirit and dropping his hands to the mattress.

“I’d have thought that would be obvious, Yadonushi. When you stab things, they tend to bleed.”

Ryou shook his head at the reply. That hadn’t been what he meant. 

“Why didn’t the ring burn him like it does to the unworthy?” He had heard about it from another wielder of a millennium item – the millennium eye. Pegasus. Ryou wasn’t sure what happened to that man or the eye he held, but Pegasus had told Ryou, Yugi, and his other friends a tale about the millennium items. Specifically that of the very ring resting around Ryou’s neck. When a thief had stolen the ring and was made to wear it, not only did the ring reject him immediately, it burned him from the inside out until the man was vomiting flame and blackened to a crisp.

“Ah yes, I remember that low class thief. One of many who burned. But any who have magic within them are more worthy than creatures like that, Yadonushi. The ring resonates with magic. Its chosen wielders must have an inner source of magic to be accepted. Even if the magic is weak and pathetic. That is why the ring will point to you when a wizard has it in their filthy little claws. But only someone the ring recognizes as truly worthy can use it to its full power and wear it indefinitely.”

Ryou shivered as he got a brief image of a burning man, courtesy of the spirit’s memories, but he pushed it away to focus on what the spirit had said.

“ Why can I keep it then? I’m not magical,” he pointed out. The spirit chuckled again.

“You have the potential, Yadonushi. The potential for Shadow Magic. Had it not been sealed away so long ago, you no doubt would have been born wielding the shadows, nursed by monsters. That is why you and you alone can hold the ring for eternity. These simpleton magicians can only handle such power until it overwhelms and burns them.”

“ So….if they wear it too long…will they die?”

“Yes.”

The reply was short and simple, but the spirit was smiling as he said it. That wasn’t something to smile about. Death wasn’t a thing to enjoy. Ryou studied the spirit a bit, wondering why he was being so chatty in the first place. If there was one thing the ring bearer was used to, it was one sided conversations. His brown eyes tracked the translucent form as he crossed the room and stuck his head through the door. That was an interesting sight…and soon enough the spirit pulled back, smirking again in a way that you’d think he was up to no good. 

“So…do you know what a shadow mage is then? Are you one? Are you what those people are after?” Ryou asked, but the thief spirit Bakura only smiled at Ryou as he stayed silent. Ryou frowned. No answer? None at all? So much for that apparent progress he thought they were having.

/Rise, Yadonushi, and open the door. Perhaps if I am feeling generous I will explain to you about the shadows when there are less mice around./

Ryou stood confused as he looked at the ghost fazing out of existence and walked over to the door. He tilted his head before pushing it open, only to find himself under the gaze of 3 sets of wide eyes staring at him as if he had just caught them doing something wrong.

“Oh…Ryou,” Harry was the first to recover, quickly getting up and brushing himself off, “we were just on our way to bed.” Ryou glanced past Harry towards Hermione. With that one movement, Harry knew he was caught in his lie, but Ryou didn’t press it. Ron was finally back on his feet, shoving his head into the room and looking around.

“But you know. If you’re too busy talking to yourself and all, we can come back another time,” he snickered and Ryou felt like this one was laughing at him, not with him. Ron got an elbow to the side, turning to face Hermione with an ‘oww’ as he rubbed the forming bruise. Hermione just smiled sweetly.

“Ryou, I know it’s been a long day for you…but,” Hermione began, voice soft as she stepped over to the white haired boy. Ryou lifted his hand and shook his head.

“I know what you’re going to ask. You were right, Hermione. The ring wasn’t enchanted by some spell. It’s been magical since I can remember, even before I realized it. I…I think the ring is what you-know-who is after. This ring...” he hesitated a moment, wary of just how much he should tell them, “it used to belong to a shadow magician. I think those guys in the masks want it so they can use shadow magic too.”

Hermione stared at the ring entranced, then let her gaze flicker up to Ryou. “You know about shadow magic?” Hermione pressed, tone careful. She was disappointed when Ryou shook his head.

“Not really. It’s from Egypt and it was sealed. At least, that’s what my friend from Egypt said. He says the magic was sealed during the unknown era, so nobody can use it anymore.” Well…almost nobody. There were five or six people in the world who could sort of use it through their millennium items, as well as two spirits that could use it simply because it was theirs before the sealing. “Even if that guy did get the ring…I don’t think it would do him any good. All it does is point to things,” he murmured softly, stroking the gold. He was lying and he felt guilty, so he hoped by keeping his eyes on the ring, they wouldn’t know he was hiding the rest of the ring’s abilities. 

“Ryou, it stabbed someone. Don’t you think…perhaps…it’s better off locked away?” Hermione was still very careful with her tone. “Especially if you-know-who is after it.”

Ryou quickly shook his head. “Maybe it was trying to point to me but I was behind whoever had it. That would make the points point against your chest…” he offered though he knew that wasn’t true, “And I can’t get rid of it. It’s very special to me. My father gave it to me when I was little,” he added, gaze softening as he looked at the ring.

/Not to mention it is yours alone to bear, my Yadonushi. I won’t tolerate any other host but you./  
That was probably because Bakura wanted to murder all the other people who could potentially host the ring, but Ryou opted to keep those thoughts, and the spirit’s thoughts, silent.

“Hermione, I know you probably have a lot of questions, but I’m afraid I won’t have answers for you. I’ve been asking questions for years but…I guess I’m not very good at finding answers.” There was something ironic about the wielder of the magical item finder not being able to find things but the only one who seemed to take amusement from that was the spirit.

Hermione looked Ryou over, noting his downtrodden expression and the way he looked at the ring. It was that look alone that broke her resolution. She remembered how interested in Egyptian history he had been during her Ancient Runes class, and that had been the only time he had chosen her class over Harry’s. Maybe he really was in the dark about all this, just as they were.

But he could have at least told them it had to do with Egypt. Then at least they’d have something to go on instead of blindly choosing books to scour through for information.

“So you said it points to things? You mean besides you?” Ron asked, looking at the ring curiously but wary all the same now that Hermione said she thought it was a thing of dark magic. Ryou smiled and gave a firm nod as he held the ring on flat palms.

“Ring, point to Harry!” he called to the golden charm. The four stared and waited. And waited. And waited.  
Ryou flushed red in embarrassment now that his necklace decided to be just a necklace. He could hear the spirit of the ring laughing in hysterics in the back of his mind. 

“Well…it uhh…tends to be fickle,” Ryou mumbled, rubbing the back of his head as he let the ring drop.

“Could I give it a try?” Harry asked, gesturing to the ring. Ryou was hesitant, praying in his mind that this would be ok. “Just…don’t put it on,” he said softly, pulling the strap over his head and placing the ring in Harry’s hand. As long as he didn’t wear it, it would be ok. At least, he wouldn’t die.

The moment Ryou let go of the ring and Harry held it on his own, the tines immediately lifted and pointed to Ryou. Harry blinked down at it. “uhh…Ring, point to Ron,” he tried, but the ring remained fixed on Ryou.

“Some great use that is,” Ron laughed, “It’s not very smart, is it?”

Ryou blushed and took the ring by the strap before laying it on his bedside table. The last thing he needed right now was to get possessed by a vengeful spirit Ron had just effectively called stupid.

“All this time. It’s funny…I was trying so hard to hide magic from you in Little Whinging, but you had it with you all along…but…why didn’t you tell me your ring was magic once you found out I was?” Harry asked, giving Ryou a confused look. Ryou’s own expression was truly apologetic. 

“I didn’t want the ring taken from me. I’m sorry, Harry, but I just can’t part with it…and I don’t know how unusual a magical item it is.”

“Well, if it really does what you say, point out anything at your command without limitation, then it’s truly a one of a kind item,” Hermione offered. Sure, there were items you could use to help you find things, but they always had limitations such as the item needing to be marked with a spell beforehand or the item having to be clear in your mind’s eye and within a small distance.

“Oh…Could…could you keep my ring a secret then? Please? I don’t want anyone to have a reason to want to steal it,” Ryou looked at Hermione most of all, desperation in his eyes. She wilted under that gaze, unable to do anything but nod. Ron shrugged and nodded as well. 

“Even if I did tell anyone, I don’t think they’d care about a ring that only points to you, Ryou,” he offered as he promptly turned to his bed. “Now I’d love to get some shut eye, so if you don’t mind.”

Harry glanced at his ginger friend, then at Ryou. Relief had washed over the white haired boy at their promises and he could tell right then and there just how important the ring was to him. He had known it was special since he knew Ryou’s situation with his father, but he never thought he treasured it quite that much. 

Hermione turned to leave and head to the girls’ dormitories, giving the ring one last curious look before she disappeared. Harry joined Ron for a brief chat about their Christmas plans. Ryou meanwhile settled in bed, surrounded by the crimson colors of Gryffindor. He smiled. He liked this house and he was happy to have such trustworthy friends. For a moment he could feel something prickling at the back of his mind – an argument to that thought – but it just couldn’t get through. Ryou chuckled quietly to himself, glancing at the ring. No doubt the spirit had no faith in Harry and his friends.

“Ryou,” Harry called, causing the brown eyes boy to look over to the two Gryffindors. “Well…we, me, Ron, and Hermione, were going to stay together for Christmas. Did you want to come?” he asked.

“It’ll be loads better than staying here, Ryou. My mum is a great cook and she won’t mind having another person to fuss over,” Ron added, but Ryou shook his head.

“I told you already, I was planning to spend Christmas with my father,” Ryou said softly but Harry seemed unsure.

“It’s safer with us, Ryou…and…what if your dad …doesn’t show?” he asked, hating to say the words he knew Ryou was dreading to hear. Harry hadn’t seen any Mr. Bakura the entire time he was still in Little Whinging, despite Ryou’s occasional days of excitement because his father was finally coming. His father never came, and Harry hated to say it, but he didn’t think he’d come this time either. He hated to leave Ryou alone on Christmas. He knew how that felt.

Harry regretted the words once he saw Ryou’s hurt expression. Ryou didn’t argue against Harry’s concern either…he could tell Ryou was worried about the exact same thing.

And with that conversation killer, the trio momentarily forgot about the pieces of Ryou’s conversation with himself that they had overheard.

0

During the night, a horrible ruckus woke Ryou up. It woke everyone in the room up, actually. Groggy as he was, it took Ryou a moment to even realize the sounds were from the world of the living rather than the world of the dreaming. Soon enough though, he was pulling back the curtains around his bed, blinking sleep from his eyes, and taking in the scene. Everyone was around Harry’s bed as Ron helped him up. He was going on and on about something being attacked and he looked like he was in pain. Ryou wanted to reach out to him and tell him it was just a dream, but something made him stop. Perhaps it was the look in his eyes as he and Ron passed him, racing out of the room. Something was wrong though, that much was certain. Something involving Ron’s father.

Ryou grabbed the millennium ring and threw it on, not bothering with any other piece of clothing to cover his pajamas, and made haste to follow where Ron and Harry had gone. But he couldn’t pass the door. His feet were frozen in their tracks.

/….you felt it, didn’t you, Yadonushi?/

Ryou fidgeted as he stared down the steps. Other students joined him in gazing down with curious eyes.

“What was that?” Ryou asked aloud, two questions at once, aimed at two different parties. None of the students had an answer for him. Nobody knew what had happened to Harry except for Ron, who had gone with him and their head of house out of the room. But his other question was answered by the spirit.

/Dark magic, Yadonushi. Soul magic./

Ryou shivered, trying hard to smother his gasp. Soul magic was dangerous, as he very well knew. He had been on the losing side of magic caste involving the soul. It was never a good thing. But how could the spirit be sure that was what he felt?

0

Even with everyone crawling back to bed around him, Ryou couldn’t sleep. He laid in bed, ring on his chest, and stared at nothing as hours ticked by. When Harry returned, it was near morning and he promptly collapsed in his bed. Ron wasn’t with him and Ryou had no chance to ask about what happened. 

When the sun was finally up and shining down after such a bleak night, Ryou was the one waking Harry for once to come to breakfast. Harry was quiet and his face was always somber. It was during breakfast that Ron finally made his reappearance. Harry immediately stood up at the sight of his friend.

“How is he? Did they make it in time?” he asked, words coming out quick and desperate. Ron nodded and gave a summary while Ryou eavesdropped on their conversation. So in short, Ron’s father had been badly hurt and it was thanks to Harry, somehow, that they made it to him in time to save him. But how could Harry have known?

It was a question both Ryou and the spirit of the ring were thinking, but it was only the spirit who would not drop the thought of soul magic.

Ryou kept quiet as the two quickly discussed something about a portkey and getting ready to go right away. It was only when Ron left to gather his siblings that Harry returned his attention to Ryou.

“I’ll be leaving soon. To stay with Ron’s family. You know, Ryou…I don’t even think it’s possible to get you home for Christmas. You need to get floo powder from one of the head of houses and use their fireplace, or the headmaster’s, and they aren’t going to let you do that. It’s too dangerous,” he said for the umpteenth time. 

“Ok, Harry…ok. If I can’t get back to my home…then I’ll go with you,” he finally said in a defeated sigh. Harry smiled softly, a halfhearted smile as other events weighed down what he normally would have been happy about.

“Ryou, you’ll love it there. I know you will,” Harry said, already sure Ryou would be coming with them then. Ryou could only smile at his friend. He was sure it would be a nice time, but he prayed Harry was wrong anyway and that he’d be able to go home.

0

/Use the ring, Yadonushi/

“I don’t think the ring likes me”

Laughter echoed in Ryou’s ears as he blushed and fidgeted in the empty Gryffindor Common Room. After breakfast, Harry had gone off with Ron and Hermione to take care of their own last minute duties before heading home for the holidays.

So that left Ryou alone, making preparations for home. He had planned on going to ask professor McGonagall or maybe Professor Snape if he could use their fireplaces and floo powder, since he didn’t know who the heads of houses were for the other two houses, but then…he realized he had no clue where their offices were and there was no time nor people to ask.

/Such a shame the Potter brat didn’t leave you his map/ cooed the spirit, and Ryou could have sworn there was almost a sense of longing in the spirit’s thoughts…but why over a map? A map was just a piece of paper. Ryou would never understand the spirit.

Ryou sighed and picked up the ring again. “Ok…Ring…can you please show me the nearest bit of floo powder?” he asked, voice wavering since he knew it wasn’t going to work. Suddenly his grip strengthened on the ring and he held it up higher, though not by choice. 

/To Floo Powder/

Immediately one of the tines began to lift and point. The spirit had only to think of his goal and the ring obeyed. Ryou wished he was capable of controlling the ring that well too.

“Huh. That’s strange. It’s pointing up those stairs,” Ryou murmured, tilting his head. He had never been up those steps, but he could guess from the layout that it led to the girl’s dorms.

“I thought Harry said only the heads of houses had floo powder. It would be against the rules to have it here, wouldn’t it?” he voiced his thoughts as he held onto the ring. Then he felt his legs moving without command and gasped.

/We can’t go up there! It’s the girls section!/

“Oh hush, Yadonushi, you want to go home for Christmas to see your dear sweet daddy don’t you?” barked the spirit as he took the first step onto the stairway. Immediately he paused. 

/….Koe….what was that? It felt strange…/

The spirit frowned and looked at the stairs. They held magic in them it seemed. He took another step, and another, before suddenly stopping. The stairs buckled, stuck between slope and stair as if the magic within them was confused. Finally it decided to become a slope to send whatever was on it back downstairs. But that wouldn’t be enough to stop a professional thief. He let out a hiss as he hopped up, holding himself against the wall with the help of the railing. He had to focus to let the shadows around him hide him. Invisible he was not, yet undetectable all the same. Once the slope was back to stairs, he carefully lowered a foot down to test it. They stayed steps and the thief smirked in triumph. It had been far too easy to trick these stairs. 

The thief brushed himself off once they were at the top of the steps and lifted the ring again. It immediately began pointing, without even a word from the spirit, and he followed it to the 5th year dorms. Without hesitation, he pushed open the door and stepped inside as silent as the ghost he was. The room was quiet. The students had all left for holiday already. Bakura walked further inside, pausing only once the ring pointed down to a bag beside one of the beds. Right beside a trunk labeled H. G.

/Hermione has some…why does Hermione have some? Koe, we should leave. What if she comes and finds us in here? She’ll hate me for sure./

“No Yadonushi, she will merely grow more suspicious of you. But fear not. She will not catch me,” purred the spirit, voice nothing but a whisper as he reached into the bag to withdraw what the ring pointed to. What he pulled out was a couple handfuls of silvery dust in a little baggie. Three handfuls to be precise. Enough for three people then.

The thief smiled and closed the bag, pocketing the powder, and just like that he was out of the room and down the stairs. This time the stairs didn’t even recognize his presence on them at all and he walked down without any problem. There was no break as he headed straight towards the fire, reaching into the bag to grab a handful of the sparkling soot.

/Wait! Koe, my things! And I have to say goodbu-/

“Hush, Yadonushi,” the spirit cut him off, “I have your deck and that is all you need.”   
He threw the dust into the fireplace, smirking as it sparked green. Then without any hesitation despite the protest his other self had about walking into fire, he stepped into the flames. The spirit did not need his host to spill any more than he already had to those foolish wizards and that nosy witch. He would not let them spend Christmas together, that was for certain.

“Harthrow House,” he barked. For a moment, nothing happened. Then the green fire tinted black and Bakura was gone.

The fireplace crackled back to its usual orange glow, leaving no trace that the thief had just done what should not have been possible from this room.

0

It was a quiet evening in Little Whinging. The glow from the normally empty house went completely unnoticed by the muggles of the sleepy little town. Bakura stepped out of the fireplace as the green and black flames curled and died away until a chill came from the hearth rather than warmth. 

Bakura smiled as he looked around. The place was just as they left it, plus some dust. “Welcome home, Yadonushi,” the spirit purred before the boy’s eyes blinked and the smile faded to a frown. Brown eyes roved over the room and he shivered.

“I forgot how…empty this house was,” Ryou mumbled quietly into the night as he stepped away from the fireplace and towards the couch. “I didn’t expect the floo powder to drop us off in my own home. I thought Harry said they were part of a network…” he spoke aloud, though he received no answer. Not even a thought of a reply.

“….I guess I should clean so dad doesn’t wonder about the dust when he gets home….” That thought warmed him, chasing the chill of the shadowy fire away for a brief moment. His father was coming. He’d get to see him at last, after a whole summer and then some of waiting. Despite his tired bones begging him to sleep after spending the previous night awake and fretting about Harry, he spent the afternoon cleaning and dusting everything. Even the thief’s stolen prizes which littered the house. He sighed as he put the Anubis statuette back in place, looking it over. Hopefully his father would be oblivious to all of their new décor.

At last Ryou took a time out and sat down on the couch, laying back and letting out a sigh. “It does feel good to be home. It’ll feel better when my father gets here. I hope Harry has a good holiday with Ron’s family. It would have been nice to have him over here though…”

/He wouldn’t have come, Yadonushi. That bumbling magician and his troop of losers are too afraid of their Voldemort. Their fear is greater than their bond with you./

“V….Voldemort…just the name makes me shiver, Koe…” Ryou mumbled and low and behold, shiver he did. Just to be safe, the boy got up and locked the front door. “He doesn’t know I’m here though…” he said more to himself than to the spirit of the ring. The spirit chose to be silent once more, neither affirming nor dismissing Ryou’s worries.

It was so quiet, Ryou was getting nervous. Perhaps this was a bad idea. Being alone felt dangerous now, even if it was something he was used to. He nearly jumped out of his skin when the telephone rang, blushing at his own foolishness when he went to go finally answer it. 

“Hello?” he spoke brightly as he picked up, but the line soon went dead. “Huh…I guess they hung up…” he shrugged and put the phone down.

/….Yadonushi, go back into the living room/

Ryou seemed confused by the command. The spirit was urging him with a guarded tone. Ryou obeyed if only out of curiosity. “Is something wrong?” he asked, but he got no reply. He sighed again as he walked to the window. The sky had clouded and it had started to rain, which wasn’t really surprising considering how often it rained here. As Ryou looked at the serene sight of the little town he smiled. The rain sounded nice as it tapped against the glass.

“Oh. I haven’t checked the mail in months…” he suddenly noted as he caught sight of his mailbox, blurred by the rain. He quickly hurried to the front door, tugging on his coat and reaching for the lock to open it, but he paused the moment his fingers touched the lock. His throat grew tight and he pulled his hand back quickly. The door wasn’t locked anymore…But he had just…

He jumped again as the phone rang a second time. This time he just stared at it until it rang again…and again. He remained plastered by the door until the answering machine picked up and his father’s voice greeted him. He was beside the phone in a heartbeat, relief prematurely spreading over him. 

“Hello, father! Sorry I didn’t pick up right away.”  
“Ryou! Finally, I haven’t gotten anything but the answering machine for weeks. You were making me worried.”  
“Ah, sorry, I…I made a lot of friends and I’ve been spending most of my time with them.”

Ryou could tell by his father’s tone that he was proud of his son as the two quickly chatted. Ryou was getting nervous as the conversation went on, strictly due to the spirit’s wariness. He could have sworn he could see the spirit watching out behind him in that ghost form.

“Ryou, I’ve booked a flight for tomorrow evening. I’ll be there within the week,” his father said, and oh how Ryou’s heart would have soared had it been any other time. But the lights had started to flicker and the spirit of the ring was quickly growing anxious.

/Yadonushi. Hang up the phone./

Ryou bit his lip as he listened to his father go on about their Christmas plans. Ryou could hardly focus as he swore he heard a creak from upstairs. 

/Yadonushi. Now./

“Anou…Sorry daddy….I… I thought you weren’t going to make it to Christmas….I…I made plans with my friends….to spend Christmas with them,” he said, glad it wasn’t a lie but hurting inside all the same. His father was confused.

“I won’t be home. I’m so sorry, dad….you should stay there. Cancel your flight. I’m sorry. I love you,” he finished, a tear rolling down his cheek as he listened to his father’s good byes. His dad clearly wasn’t happy, but he also understood and apologized to Ryou for taking so long to get home. 

“Awww, how very brave of you. Keeping dear old daddy safe~” cooed a voice from the stairs. In a flash, Ryou had dropped the phone and spun around with a growl. Laughter greeted him.

“My my how fierce. Come then, boy, let’s go spend Christmas together,” the voice said as a figure dressed head to toe in black came down the stairs. A woman by the sounds of it. “I know someone who would be delighted to see you this holiday~”

“Get out of my house!” barked Bakura, earning another laugh from the woman. His eye twitched and he started to charge, but a loud crack sounded behind him and someone in a mask grabbed his arm. Without missing a beat, the boy twisted, produced a knife from his coat, and shoved it deep into the man’s arm. The Death Eater let out a cuss and a scream as his bloodied appendage could no longer muster the strength to grip, tendons cut at the inner elbow. Bakura kicked him hard in the chest just before dodging out of the way of a bright red beam of light.

Bakura raced for the fireplace as more loud cracks filled his ears, ducking as one of his precious -stolen- antiques was blown up by a stray spell. His hand reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of silvery dust. Only the woman Death Eater seemed to recognize what he had and judging from her expression, it was a completely unexpected situation.

“STOP HIM!” she shouted, but it was too late. Bakura had reached the fireplace, diving towards it as he threw the powder on the cold logs. With a guttural growl, he yelled “HOGWARTS,” just as the flames flickered to life around his body.

The lady Death Eater howled in rage as their quarry made his escape.


	24. Strength

Harry sighed as he pushed around the leftovers on his plate. Mrs. Weasley had given him quite a healthy amount of food and then some. He had no hopes of finishing it off, but that wasn’t really what had him a bit down during the holidays. He had plenty of things weighing on his mind of late, though Ron picked one that had been nagging at Harry since they left for Grimmauld place via portkey.

“Oh come on, Harry, lighten up. He’s with his father. There’s nothing better than spending the holidays with your family, so don’t feel bad for him,” Ron said, trying to cheer Harry up.

“I know, Ron, I know. But why didn’t he say goodbye or let us know he got permission to go? He just…up and disappeared.” They had returned to the Gryffindor common room to get Ryou only to find him gone. His borrowed school robes and the things he had gotten from Hogsmeade were still by the guest bed in his bag, but Ryou’s muggle clothes, coat, and magic ring were nowhere to be seen. Harry had sent Hedwig out to deliver a letter to Ryou wishing him a happy holiday after everyone had settled in, but he still wished Ryou had come with them.

“Well maybe it was a ‘now or never’ type of deal. The fireplaces were closing when we finally left. Maybe he just couldn’t find us. I’m sure he’ll explain when we go back. He’s a bit of a push over if you press him,” Ron said, but his encouragement made Harry frown. “What? He kind of is. He says sorry a lot you know, and sometimes for no reason.”

Before Harry could retort, a sound behind him made him and Ron turn around. Hermione had cleared her throat and seemed eager to talk to them about something. 

“Harry, Ron…. We need to talk. In private,” she urged. The two gave her a curious stare until she rolled her eyes and grabbed them by their sleeves. “Come on!” she said as she tugged them towards the stairs and closed the door behind them once they were safely in their room.

“So what’s it then? What did you read about this time, Hermione?” Ron sighed, not exactly keen on another history lesson of some ancient whatsit. He furrowed his brow when Hermione pulled out a couple of wrinkled pieces of paper. Ripped from a book by the looks of it.

“What are these from?” Harry asked as Hermione unfolded the pages and smoothed them out as best she could. The text on the pages was not English. Not entirely anyway. The pictures were strange as well, and although Harry had no idea what the images were, Ron did surprisingly enough.

“Hey, I know those symbols. My brother showed me some of them. They’re Egyptian,” Ron noted, rather proud of himself though he could do no more than identify their origin. Hermione still seemed pleased by it and nodded.

“That’s right, Ron. I found these pages in the pockets of Ryou’s robes,” she explained.

“Hang on. Why were you looking through his pockets?” Harry asked, but Hermione only set him with a deadpan stare, choosing not to answer that question, and went back to smoothing the papers.

“Anyway, these pages all have one thing in common. They talk about a magic from the shadows. Listen. Shadow priests, also known as shadow magi, shadow mages, spirit shades, or magicians of dusk, were allegedly masters of a twisted magic that has sense been lost to wizarding kind. The magic, though powerful, was said to be unstable and the time it was most abundant is now shrouded in the darkness these magicians were capable of wielding. Like normal witches and wizards, the magic must be in your blood and cannot be learned without an innate ability, however unlike normal magical potential, it is untraceable. It is said from the keepers of the ancient tombs of the unknown era that the magic was locked away to keep the blood of the future untainted by the darkness of shadow with no key for the lock placed upon it.” When Hermione finished, she handed one of the papers over to Harry, though he had no idea how to translate the ancient runes anyway.

“Hey, did it say tomb keepers? My brother complains about them all the time. Says they yell at him whenever he tries to go near any of the tombs in their lands. Grouchy bunch,” Ron grumbled. He hadn’t encountered them personally, but when he and his family had gone to Egypt, his brother had no end to his woes about not even being able to see let alone being unable to break the curses in those pyramids.

“That makes sense. They must be protecting the secrets of this magic. Probably to make sure it never comes back. All of the information on these pages is patched together from wizards who talked to the keepers of Egypt over the centuries. Oh if only we could talk to one of them. I’m sure if we explained what was going on they’d tell us what we needed to know.”

“Yeah. Only problem is we’re in England and they’re ya know. In Egypt. Not to mention they don’t like to talk to people and they’re hard to find…’less you’re my brother and trying to sneak into a pyramid,” Ron laughed as he thought about the story his older sibling had mentioned. 

“But wait. You said the magic was sealed. Ryou said the same. If it’s sealed, why is Voldemort after Ryou?” Harry asked, setting his eyes on Hermione. She flipped through more of the crumpled pages.

“The information here…it conflicts with each other from page to page. That one there says there is no key, but another says that there is. One says it will be unlocked again at the apocalypse, another that it had a key but the key was shattered into pieces…and then there’s this one. It says that the key lies in the gold of the dead. Ryou said he thinks his ring once belonged to a shadow magus. Gold from a dead wielder. Ryou might have the key and not even realize it….or he might have the key and know exactly what he has.”

Harry shook his head. “No. If Ryou knew his ring was some sort of key, he’d tell us. He’d tell me.”

“Harry. I know he’s your friend, but you haven’t even known him a year. He doesn’t seem the type to want to cause disaster…but he didn’t tell you the ring was magic in the first place.”

Harry couldn’t argue with her against that, but even if he didn’t know Ryou for more than a few months…he knew he could trust him. Some memories pricked at his mind of a sharp eyed Ryou who disarmed an Auror without anything but a blanket, and took down a Death Eater after getting hit by a stunning spell. He…COULD trust Ryou…right?

“Great. So you’re telling me Ryou’s possibly got something that according to the pages he ripped out of those books could bring about the apocalypse?” Ron stared at Hermione as she gave a sheepish nod.

“That’s one way of putting it,” she said, which Ron immediately groaned at. 

“Just once I’d like to have a school year where the world wasn’t in danger and our biggest worry was passing final exams.”

Harry was snickering when he heard a soft tap at the window and a familiar cree. He looked up to see his owl, letter in her beak, and immediately got up to get her. 

“Hedwig. That was fast,” Harry noted. He had only sent her not long ago. When he took the letter, his brow furrowed. “Strange….Hedwig’s never failed to deliver mail,” he looked at the bird curiously. “What’s wrong, girl? You can’t find him? You know where he is,” he said as he stroked her feathers. She nipped at his fingers and looked down, pacing the windowsill briefly, back and forth, as if she was frustrated by something.

“Harry….maybe she can’t find him. The books said shadow mages are untraceable. Maybe…maybe Ryou’s untraceable too,” Hermione looked at them, ever the voice of reason. Harry shook his head.

“But…But Hedwig has taken mail to him before. She…” He paused. Hedwig had delivered mail to Ryou’s house before…but had she ever actually taken it to him?

“But why wouldn’t he be at home?” he asked himself.

0

A fireplace roared to life with an unexpected surge of power before a boy came crashing to the ground, rolling on the stone floor. His breaths were harsh as he pushed himself to his hands and feet.

“Well. What an unexpected surprise.”

The voice made the boy leap up into a battle ready position - hands fisted and body crouched low. It took a moment for him to recognize the old bearded man standing by a brilliant flame colored bird. It was the bird’s acceptance of the aged wizard that made Bakura relax and nothing else. He especially didn’t like the way the man was watching him, but if a Bennu was tolerating him, then he could tolerate him. For now.

Dumbledore was calm as he looked at the young Ryou Bakura. His spectacled eyes took in his frazzled state and the blood splattered on his face, though he did not seem to be cut. That was alarming, but the wise wizard retained his composure.

“It is alright. Whatever you are running from, you are safe here,” he said softly to the boy, though Bakura still seemed tense and wary. “I am afraid to say, you have missed Harry and his friends. They have left for the holidays, like most of the other students. They were under the impression that you had left for home. I see you have. Gone to your home, then?”

Bakura frowned, not too keen on this backwards Q and A. But he’d best smooth down any ruffled feathers.

“Yes. I went home…using floo powder, like many of the other students,” he began, weaving together a story without any key details, “but the moment I stepped out of the fireplace, I was attacked. I was lucky to escape, but since I was right next to the fire place, I was able to floo back here. I was so scared, I panicked and said the first place that came to mind that would be safe,” said the boy, his voice tinted just enough with nervousness and fear that would make it believable. He wiped the blood from the Death Eater off of his face and caste a quick furtive glance at Dumbledore to see if he was buying this act. 

Dumbledore looked grave at this information, but there was something else in the look he was giving Bakura. A knowing look. Bakura looked away.

“I am glad you are unharmed, Mr. Bakura. Professor Snape tells me the dark lord seeks to capture you for unreasonable reasons. Do you have any idea what those reasons are?”

Bakura shook his head, holding his hands to his chest, fingers curled slightly to make himself look small and vulnerable.  
“I don’t know. I’m not magical like Harry,” he said in his best weak voice. Dumbledore merely lowered his head and continued to watch.

“Voldemort will chase anything he believes will give him power. Even if it does not truly exist. He will look into it until a dead end is reached. Once he reaches that dead end, Mister Bakura, you will be safe from him. ”

Bakura gave a great sigh of relief and turned to spot the door. “I hope he reaches his dead end soon then. Sorry to intrude, Professor. I should leave you to your work.” Dumbledore smiled kindly in reply.

“My door is always open should you wish to talk. But my question to you dear boy, how ever did you manage to come into my office from my fireplace I do wonder.”

That made Bakura pause a moment, turning to look at the headmaster with a hint of confusion.

“I told you, I used floo powder.” Obviously. What was hard to believe about that?

“Yes, I noticed. But I find it unusual that your pursuers did not follow you, since you’ve managed to discover a way to connect to a fireplace that is not connected to the floo network. For, as I’m sure Harry has told you, you cannot use magical means to enter Hogwarts. But it seems you have quite an interesting talent.”

Bakura stared at the headmaster a long moment, face blank. He quickly turned away. “I don’t really understand what you’re talking about,” he lied, “I only did what Harry told me to do. Goodnight, Professor Dumbledore.”

The headmaster watched Ryou Bakura leave the room before setting his eyes on the fireplace. How curious…he had never seen the emerald flames of floo powder so blackened and twisted before…the way they hugged the boy as came from them….

He folded his hands in thought. If only the ministry wasn’t bearing down so hard on the school…he could not draw attention to Ryou’s abilities, for if Umbridge discovered him and sent him to the ministry, he was as good as Voldemort’s. “He is, undeniably, a shadow magician from ancient myths.”

“Oh please, headmaster, the dark lord’s obsession is naught but folly. Even I know those do not exist. An Egyptian fairytale and nothing more.” Snape strode out from a doorway towards the back of the room with a frown, adjusting his billowing cloak to fix around his form. 

“And yet here one is before us.” Dumbledore’s gaze remained fixed on the door Ryou had left from. “I suspect the darkness in the flames had something to do with this ancient magic he seems to possess.”

“You think the black flames were his doing?”

“Oh yes. Though perhaps not intentionally. His magic may have a certain passive quality to it, which is why it is so very difficult to find. But I have a hunch that it may have….empowered the floo powder in some way.”

“….Is the boy a threat?” Not even Snape could deny that the child had done the impossible in flooing here…not to mention the numerous times the potions master swore he managed to disappear into the shadows of the castle. A feat to be sure considering his white hair made him practically glow in the dark. 

“That is a question I cannot answer. He is still walking the path of youth. If you asked if Tom Riddle was a threat at Ryou’s age, would you have ever foreseen his path? Doubtless nothing good will come of it if Voldemort gets his hands on this boy. Keep them apart, Severus.”

0

/He knows something./

“Obviously.”

/What if he knows everything?/

“He doesn’t.”

/How can you be sure?/

“Because I am, Yadonushi, now stop pestering me.”

The thief stalked down the empty halls, irritation coursing through his borrowed body. His host’s home had been compromised and now he was stuck in this gods forsaken castle until he thought up a plan. He had to deal with this wizard problem, but how? He growled and glared at a painting that had mocked him for talking to himself. The person in the painting quickly fled to a new frame.

He stopped and took a deep breath to clear his head. The castle was relatively empty. He had spotted only two or three students in total since leaving the headmaster’s office. There was nothing to do then but what, wait for their dark lord to find him? That would not do. If he needed to make that fool reach a dead end, then a dead end he would reach. Perhaps…

The thief, with destination in mind, began walking down the halls once more until he reached one familiar hallway. He paced a few times before it and waited until a door morphed into place, stone as black as night.

If the students could use this room to train themselves in defense magic, theoretically, he should be able to do the same. With that in mind, he yanked open the doors and stepped inside.

The room was different than how it usually looked. It was much smaller, but still quite spacious. There were no pictures of wizards or lists of spells and students hanging around anymore. The torches that lined the walls were concentrated, leaving deep shadows to dance across the ground between obscenely bright patches of light. The room seemed more eerie and barren than it did when he came here with Potter, though some things did remain. Dummies on one wall made of enchanted straw that would fix itself after a spell blew it to pieces. Drab grey cushions lining the edges of the room, to soften a rough landing. A shelf of magical remedies for minor injuries and ailments.

The white haired boy blinked as he looked around the room. He shivered and held his arms.

“….Koe, why is it that when you make the room, you make it creepy?”

/what do you mean when I ‘make’ the room, Yadonushi?/

“Harry said the room of requirement takes the form of whatever the person who calls on it needs it to be.” Surely the spirit must have known that. Ryou had the ring when Harry explained it.

/I do not bother listening to every worthless thing that exits that boy’s mouth, Yadonushi./

Ryou looked around, trying to figure out what it was the spirit wanted from this room. Training, by the looks of it, but Ryou had no wand and neither did the spirit. For a moment Ryou looked around to see if the room had created a wand for him, but it was a futile search. Ryou’s eyes turned downward towards his chest as his hands suddenly moved without warning. They hovered alongside the millennium ring, but even then, Ryou remained confused.

/This is better than any wand, Yadonushi./

“But I don’t want –”

/This isn’t a suggestion. You WILL use it. You will learn to take the shadows and twist them. To strike fear into the enemy./

Ryou was quickly back stepping and shaking his head, hands dropping to his side. “No. Shadow magic is dangerous. Hermione said its dark magic. I don’t want any part of it.”

/It’s already apart of you, Ryou, as I am./

Ryou’s hands returned to their position beside the ring and his feet locked in place. The boy was breathing quickly now. What if the spirit summoned the shadows here? A shadow game at Hogwarts? It would be a disaster. Ryou didn’t want to go back to the Shadow Realm. He couldn’t. Not again. 

His breath froze and his hands gripped the ring too tightly. A scowl soon appeared on the once frightened face. “Ra damned host. You can’t keep running away, Yadonushi,” the spirit growled, feeling Ryou fleeing to the safety of his soul room. Bakura frowned. Ryou was weak. Pathetic. It made for easy body take overs to be sure, but with such weak light, the darkness surrounding it would never be as potent.

0

Christmas break came and went quickly, though for the castle captive, the days dragged by remarkably slow. Ryou had spent more than a handful of holidays alone and could pass the time with games, but the spirit wasn’t letting up on dragging him to the room to try to train him. Every day. Ryou dreaded the spirit’s training. If he tried to run away and hide himself, he’d wake up hours later with the cold darkness of the shadows curled around him. Their touch brought with it fear, like the Dementor’s presence, mixed with anguish like when he saw the boggart. The spirit called it desensitizing. Ryou called it punishment. 

After the fifth day of waking up in darkness, Ryou finally relented to Bakura’s shadow training. He shifted as he stood in the room, wondering why the spirit wanted him to learn so badly all of a sudden anyway. The magic came from the ring and the spirit, so whatever he learned would be useless when he took the ring off anyway. But…he supposed if he could learn to use the ring to at least point to things like the spirit could make it do, that would definitely be a handy trick. Yugi and his other friends could definitely benefit from that.

/such sentimentality. Cast that away, Yadonushi, and you will be stronger./

“Wanting to do something for others isn’t weakness you know, Koe. It’s a strength,” he spoke softly, expecting some sort of snappy backlash, but the spirit didn’t reply. He didn’t laugh or get angry. The link between Ryou and Bakura was just…neutral.

Then the spirit was standing beside Ryou and his heart leapt. It wasn’t a sight he was used to and honestly, it unnerved him a bit. The spirit looked like him, but perhaps an inch taller and with eyes that were cold and dark. Eyes that had seen death and caused it. When those eyes looked at Ryou, the boy felt less than nothing and he swore that was how the spirit saw him too.

“Step one to training is acceptance, Yadonushi. Accepting the shadows. You have been in them long enough now that they are used to you, so you should be used to them. The pharaoh’s pet accepted his darkness immediately. When you finally do the same, you will be a better host body than him, especially since your body has grown used to the realm of shadows itself.”

It always came down to power with the spirit of the ring. Ryou hadn’t been aware that his decisions could weaken the spirit though.

“They can’t, foolish Yadonushi.”

For some reason, Ryou got the feeling the spirit was lying. Bakura’s eyes narrowed at him, but that only made him more sure.

“Yugi didn’t accept darkness, Koe. Yugi…Yugi is the opposite of anything dark. He sees good in everyone, and he’s so positive and happy,” Ryou finally turned to face the spirit.

“I did not say that the idiot mortal was darkness. Just that he accepted it. That star head has a sickening amount of light in him that the shadows would utterly decimate if I could banish HIM to the shadow realm.” At first the spirit had growled the words, but once he said them, the actual thought of it made him smirk.

“Come here, Yadonushi. We will use things that you enjoy for your training,” spoke the spirit as his ghostly form strode over to a table in the middle of the room as lithe as a cat. Ryou followed far less gracefully simply out of curiosity. The table in the room was a board game. Little figures of monsters sat on the surface.

“I don’t understand, Koe. What am I going to learn?” Ryou asked as he picked up one of the figures. It was a little black dragon that looked like it was made of smoke and bones. Ryou found it kind of cute in a creepy sort of way.

“Focus on the piece, Yadonushi,” the spirit said, ignoring his question in favor of his own agenda. So, Ryou focused on the piece, admiring the skillful craftsmanship after he got bored and then wondering how it would look if it flew. 

“Koe….I…don’t know what I’m supposed to be focusing on,” he finally admitted with a sigh, turning his attention to the see through spirit. The thief spirit groaned and gave Ryou a fairly nasty glare.

“Give it life, Yadonushi. We’ve played this game hundreds of times and you’ve created plenty of stories for the pieces. So give this one a story.”

Ryou furrowed his brow and looked at the piece again. “Ok…then …it doesn’t like being told what to do. It, no he-”

“To yourself, Host.”

“…..” Ryou snapped his mouth shut with a frown and leaned against the table to stare at the figurine again. He gave it a story, like the spirit wanted, despite the uselessness of such a thing. He imagined it breathing blue flames as the smoke that made up its body churned. He pictured it being able to get through the tiniest places, limited only by the smoke of its form. But even with his imagination trying to make this interesting, in the end all he was doing was staring at a lifeless piece of wood. After an hour of nothing happening, the spirit finally let him stop and leave the room with more questions than answers.

The thief spirit lingered behind a moment as his host exited the room. His eyes were on the dragon. He reached out and passed his hand through the piece. Darkness clung to the dragon for a moment before seeping into the wood. At first Bakura frowned in disappointment, but soon paused as the figure spread skeletal wings and blew a tiny spurt of blue flame. The dragon was no bigger than his thumb, yet it looked up at him with beautiful defiance. The spirit smiled.

As he disappeared back into the ring, the figurine became lifeless once more.

The thief smirked as he walked along the corridor of souls, fingertips brushing against the never ending walls. He glanced through a white door, always slightly open since his little landlord was so foolishly trusting to his so called friends. He did not enter the white room. No doubt Ryou’s soul room would make him want to vomit from the stupidity of its contents. Instead he moved passed the white room to his own door. An ancient, cracked thing of heavy stone sealed tightly closed. He pushed it open and entered his dark lair, a red robe flowing from his shoulders as he entered and his door shut behind him. His room felt like power. Shadows leaked from a chained up slab of obsidian on one wall but he paid it no mind as he walked to the opposite wall, sitting amongst piles of gold he had stolen when his body had been his own. It would never be enough gold to pay for what the pharaoh owed him, but it would serve as a reminder of his purpose.

The more important thought this night was Ryou’s progress, as dismal as it was. Making a small monster move was child’s play, but giving it life was a true challenge to a shadow wielder. A monster with life would be loyal to its master, rather than a cheap card that can be traded off. He had seen the way the pharaoh’s monsters loved that worthless king and his host. He had loyal monsters of his own, but the pharaoh had turned Yugi’s favorites into his weapons as well. Bakura would do the same with Ryou’s monsters….once his host finally connected to them instead of connecting to one use magic cards. Once he had monsters that would thrive off of both the light and the darkness, the pharaoh would have nowhere to run. If only he could turn Ryou to his cause… then the pharaoh would lose the only advantage he had over him.

0

The day the students began returning to the school was the day Ryou stayed in the great hall all evening, waiting. His time ‘training’ with the spirit hadn’t been for many days and though Ryou hated to admit it, making up stories for pieces was fun even if it was the same pieces all the time. He wanted to share the stories with Harry…maybe bring him into the room so they could play an actual round of Monster World instead of just looking at pieces. The spirit still hadn’t told Ryou what the point of it was, but at least that part wasn’t dangerous. 

The part where the thief tried to make him summon the shadows and monsters from his dueling deck, now that was dangerous. Bakura had lent him the shadows he said. Lent them to Ryou to make him stronger he said. Ryou had stared at the darkness that had coiled around his arms, shivering as the shadows chilled his skin. He had disliked the feeling of them and the more fearful he grew of the shadows, the more they began to envelope him and take him over, sensing his weakness. The spirit had to step in to stop the shadows. He had been angry that day. Angry that Ryou could not handle such a simple task. They hadn’t practiced with actual shadows since that one time, and Ryou had been glad of it.

“Ryou!”

Ryou looked up to see Hermione smiling and waving him down. Harry was beside her, looking at Ryou with a smile, though there seemed to be something else on his mind. The two came over and sat beside him.

“How was your Christmas with your father?” Hermione immediately asked and Ryou’s heart sunk into his gut. “Ah…anou…Christmas was ok,” he said vaguely, looking away. Hermione was bright enough to know that meant something went wrong.

“Did something happen?”

The question came from Ryou, cutting Hermione off before she could say another word. Ryou’s eyes were focused on Harry, whom immediately glanced away. Hermione looked over at him and Ryou saw worry in her expression. Well then, that was a yes. 

“Hey, Harry, do you want to play Monster World? Hermione, you can play too, and Ron will love it. There’s a board we can use in the room of requirement. It will be fun. I spent the Christmas break thinking up a scenario we could play,” Ryou said quite suddenly in one of his now notorious changes in subject. Harry looked up at Ryou and looked at him a long moment before a small smile graced his face. 

“Sure, Ryou. That sounds great,” he said, voice tired. But Ryou pressed on.

“Where is Ron anyway?” he asked. Hermione was the one to answer.

“He’s with his family, helping with the packing. He should be here in a few minutes…. Say, Ryou? There’s another Hogsmeade trip coming up. Did you want to go?” Hermione was studying Ryou. The spirit saw something in her gaze that Ryou missed entirely. Hesitance. 

“Oh. I…suppose so. We’ll stay with the group this time, then?” he asked, the attack from before on the edges of his mind. Perhaps he should be more afraid…but then, he hadn’t been awake for the majority of that fight. 

“Mister Bakura, how nice to actually see you.”

Three heads snapped up to see a dark clad professor looming over them.

“You have been quite scarce over the holiday. Where have you been running off to these past few days, hm?” drawled the potions master as he set Ryou with a steady gaze. Ryou shied away from that look.

“It’s a big castle, sir, I…suppose we’ve just missed each other,” Ryou replied, hands folded on his lap and eyes downcast. Snape noted the body language. Ryou was a terrible liar.

“If you were thinking about going to the next Hogsmeade trip, you can drop it from your mind. The paintings say you were talking to yourself all holiday. Surely your mental state is in no condition to be in normal society,” he went on. He was being insulting on purpose, Ryou knew, but he took it. The spirit would let the professor yammer on as well. After all, he had just learned that the portraits were gossips. He’d look into that.

“Hmmm. Ah, and I see Mister Potter has come back to you after abandoning you at the castle all holiday. How…nice of him,” With those final words he turned away and sauntered off to go scold a couple Hufflepuffs playing with Weasley products.

“Ryou, you spent the holiday at Hogwarts? I thought…” Harry began but Ryou smiled and stood up.

“Look. Ron’s here. Come on, Harry, let’s go play.”

0

The room of requirement apparently thought they didn’t require it this day, because no matter how much Ryou paced, it didn’t show up. He frowned and placed a hand against the wall.

“Is that why Professor Snape hasn’t seen you? You’ve been going into the room of requirement to play?” Hermione asked, which after a moment of thought, Ryou gave her a nod. “You’re lucky, Ryou. Lucky that Professor Umbridge didn’t notice you. Or the lack of you,” she said quietly, but Ryou shook his head. 

“She wasn’t here for the holiday anyway,” he replied. Though she was no doubt back now and he felt it might be worth avoiding her if he could. The spirit of the ring seemed to agree, since at that moment, he whispered to Ryou that the pink toad was coming down the hall. Ryou moved away from the wall and quickly went to the window.

“Harry, can you tell me more about that? Where do the positions go again?” Ryou asked as he pointed out across the fields to the distant Quidditch Pitch. Harry knit his brow but looked out. Humoring Ryou, he started going through the positions while Ron and Hermione shared a look and a shrug.

Not too long after, a ‘hem hem’ was interrupting them. Ryou was the only one who did not turn around in surprise.

“And what are you students doing loitering in the halls?” Professor Umbridge asked, still wearing her pink winter coat. She must have returned only recently.

“Ryou wanted to know about Quidditch is all. Window has the best view of the pitch,” Ron offered, able to actually tell the truth rather than have the group playing dodge the questions. 

“And why is that? Hm? Muggles can’t play, dear, nor can your pets.” Umbridge smiled sugary sweet towards Harry, seemingly waiting for him to blow up at her. He set her with a hard stare.

“Well, since I can’t play it, the best I can do is talk about it,” he growled, doing his best to keep his tone level. Ryou had placed a hand on his shoulder to try to keep him calm. They should be used to Umbridge’s snipes at him by now.

“For now, dear. For now.” She turned her too pleasant smile onto Ryou before she left.

“…she’s up to something. Again,” Hermione frowned after the pink teacher.

“I say we were lucky. If we had kept talking ‘bout the room, she’d have caught us all trying to get in,” Ron noted, looking at the still blank room-less wall. Hermione blinked at that and glanced at Ryou, who had turned back towards the window.

“Yes…lucky.”


	25. What I Know

To say Harry was moody was an understatement.

Ryou had been watching his friend carefully over the first few days that he and the rest of the students returned to Hogwarts. Something had happened that Harry wasn’t telling him and everything just seemed to make his mood fouler as the days went on. Especially after his evening lessons with Professor Snape. Ryou personally didn’t see why Harry and his friends hated the man so passionately, but every time Harry came back from …remedial potions? He was pale, shaky, and full of bitter anger. 

Sometimes Ryou wished he was as close to Harry as Ron and Hermione were. They knew what was going on, he could tell. He’d see them talking quietly coming and going from their secret house room (which he wasn’t allowed into anymore now that there was no reason for him to leave the hospital wing). They’d drop their conversations when Ryou joined their party. He was seeing less and less of Harry too, since the one pink teacher, Professor Umbridge, had now insisted that Ryou wasn’t to attend lessons anymore as he was ‘too big of a distraction’ for students preparing for their O.W.L. exams. The result was him spending much more time alone in the library, in the hospital wing, or occasionally, in the room of requirement. He tried to avoid wandering the halls too much for two reasons. One, professor Umbridge, two….a poltergeist called Peeves. Ryou hadn’t had much interaction with the ghost before since he was usually with a group or teacher. But he had met him during Christmas break once, and since then the poltergeist seemed to make it a hobby to track him down when he was alone to pester him when there was nobody else to pester, aka, during class times.

Peeves hadn’t been an issue the past four days, so maybe he was finally getting bored. Ryou sighed as he sat quietly in an empty classroom. It was one belonging to Professor McGonagall. She had allowed him to read some of her transfiguration books to pass the time, and it was here that Harry found him after finally finishing his classes for the day. As usual, he looked annoyed from his late lesson with Snape but Ryou greeted him with a pleasant smile. 

“Hi Harry! I just finished reading the third year transfiguration books. They seem so…” but Ryou trailed off as Harry slumped himself into a seat beside Ryou, holding his head. 

“….Harry, you can tell me if something’s wrong you know…if…if you want to.”

“Nothing is wrong,” Harry snipped, his voice far too sharp to be believable. Harry looked over at Ryou. His lessons in occlumency with Snape were driving him up a wall of ire. Ryou was watching him. Staring at him. Harry’s fists tightened.   
“What?” he demanded, trying and failing to keep his voice calm. Ryou immediately looked down.

“…Nothing. Harry…I understand if you don’t want to talk about it. You have Ron and Hermione to confide in. Should we go meet up with them? Maybe…you’ll feel better around them,” he replied, tone so soft that Harry started to feel just a tinge guilty. Ryou hadn’t done anything after all, and, Harry just realized, Ryou was in the same boat Harry was. Nobody telling him a thing. He was in the dark, even deeper than Harry….and he didn’t even know how big of a danger Harry could be to him. If Voldemort really could possess Harry at any time like the Order of the Phoenix fretted about over Christmas break, then he could get to Ryou. Get to the weapon he was seeking. If he was a danger to Ryou, Ryou deserved to know.

Harry took a steadying breath and steeled himself for the wary looks he’d be receiving from Ryou from this point on and began to tell Ryou in a hushed voice a little piece of what was bothering him. That he was connected to a dark wizard that could potentially control him from the inside. That it was the same wizard who was trying to get to Ryou and his ring. He had expected many things from Ryou. Fear and revulsion being just two possibilities. He didn’t expect relief and a smile from him. Ryou even laughed a little.

“Is that all that you’ve been worried about? All this time?”

There was a tone of disbelief in Ryou’s voice that made Harry tense. For some reason, such a blasé response made him regret telling Ryou anything. 

“What do you mean ‘that’s all’? Didn’t you hear me, Ryou? Voldemort could be reading my mind this very minute. He could possess me at any time.”

Ryou shrugged. “If that was true, I think he’d have done it by now. But it must feel better to tell someone. My mom used to tell me it was good to speak your fears. It helps to say it rather than keep it burning inside. She- ”

Harry stood up with a jerk. He had already been in a foul mood, but Ryou was being so dismissive about this whole thing…of all people, he’d thought Ryou would at least believe him. “Ryou, this isn’t just some fear, this is real.”

Ryou looked at him calmly. “I know, Harry. Trust me, I know what you’re going through. I’ve read- ” 

“Just SHUT UP about what you’ve read! I don’t care about what people have told you, or what stupid newt level book you’ve managed to get through, or some similar mission in your silly board game. This isn’t like your books and stories. I could be possessed by the darkest wizard in history at any notice. Someone who would happily murder everyone that I call a friend. I am a danger to everyone around me. You have NO idea what that’s like so don’t pretend to!” Harry barked, voice rising with his temper. Ryou looked taken aback but Harry was blinded by his anger. He scoffed. “Go on, go join the rest of the world in calling me a nutter. I don’t need you to believe me.”

Harry pushed the chair out of the way and started heading for the door, leaving a quiet Ryou alone in the room. He was halfway up to Gryffindor tower before his anger faded away, leaving only guilt in its place. He stared at the ground, shoulders slumped, replaying the events that just happened in his head. Had it stung that Ryou didn’t believe him? Yes it did…but it wasn’t Ryou’s fault that everyone whispered about him, called him a liar behind his back. It wasn’t Ryou’s fault he was banned from Quidditch. It wasn’t Ryou’s fault that Snape was a git and his extra lessons were the worst thing in existence. It wasn’t Ryou’s fault that he was tainted by a mental connection with Voldemort.

Professor McGonagall was right. He needed to get a grip on his temper.

0

Ryou remained in the empty room, sitting until it was dark and fumbling with the hem of his borrowed school robe. He hadn’t meant to upset Harry…he just couldn’t believe that Harry was going through exactly what Ryou was going through. His hand rested on the millennium ring under his shirt which housed his own dark, murderous mind reader. The spirit was quiet this night, but Ryou knew he had been listening to the entire discussion. Ryou had been ready to let Harry know about the ring spirit then, but now he thought it best to keep it quiet. Harry would only think he was making fun of him. Saying ‘Me too, I hear voices in my head and am possessed by a psychopath that wants to kill my friends’ was probably the last thing he’d want to tell anyone to be honest. 

Ryou gave Harry his space over the next two days. He only glimpsed him in the library, busy in a mountain of homework. When Harry caught his eye, Ryou left and headed down the halls. He paused when he glimpsed a flash of pink and a smug, squat little teacher at the end of a hall. When she saw him she immediately began to walk towards him, but paused no sooner than she took a second step.

“Ahhh! There is the white rabbit! All alone today? Hee hee hee- aww did you get into a fight with your boyfriend?”

The voice came from above and Ryou looked up to see a mischievous spirit floating on his back shining a bottle of who knew what in his hand. Ryou knew better than to respond and just started to keep walking. Peeves wouldn’t do anything with a teacher right there. But he was wrong. His head was suddenly ringing as whatever bauble Peeves had been shining collided with his head. Ryou let out a squeak of pain and rubbed his head, stealing a glance at Peeves before looking down the hall at the professor in the distance. She had been watching of course, but she merely smiled and walked away just as Ryou felt someone pulling on his hair.

"There’s the little rabbit, after disappearing in wonderland for so long. Oh I’ve seeked you out rabbit babbit, but you’re good at finding holes to hide in aren’t you?” he twittered, yanking hair before pulling out more things to throw at Ryou. This time it was an ink bottle that he dumped over the boy. Ryou quickly held up his arms to shield himself and started to run, but the poltergeist merely giggled like a loon and floated after him with a taunting little tune.

“Little rabbit can only run, nobody near him can have fun~ Little rabbit has no friends, he only talks to himself in the ends~ haahahahaha”

Peeves smiled giddily as he launched ahead of Ryou and shoved a suit of armor loose from its stand, watching in mirth as it crashed over Ryou, sending heavy steel and boy alike to the ground with a loud clatter.

“Come on little rabbit! Run run! Peeves likes a good chase,” goaded the poltergeist as he bobbed and pranced around the pile of person and metal. But soon he let out a sharp gasp and was thrust against the wall by a hand just as ethereal as his own.

0

The moment Harry had caught sight of Ryou in the library he nudged Ron and Hermione and gestured to the fleeing splash of white hair. He hadn’t seen Ryou since their fight and since using the marauder’s map was useless in regards to locating Ryou, he hadn’t been able to track him down to apologize. He made haste to shove his incomplete homework and books into his bag and left the library, asking paintings as he went to stay on Ryou’s tail. 

“I don’t see why you want to apologize anyway, mate. If he doesn’t believe you, he’s no better than Seamus,” Ron said as he walked beside Harry, but Hermione rolled her eyes.

“Ronald, please, Ryou just doesn’t understand the importance of it. He’s not from our world, remember?” she retorted and Harry did his best to ignore their little argument. He blinked at the sound of a loud crash and turned a corner to spot Ryou being harassed by everyone’s least favorite poltergeist.

“There he is,” he spoke just as quickly as he reached for his wand. They’d have to do something about Peeves. But just as they arrived on the scene, Peeves was thrown against the wall by apparently nothing. Ryou remained crumpled on the ground, staring at Peeves with big, watery eyes and a shaken expression, while Peeves was staring at nothing looking ready to piss his ghostly pants.

“Ok ok! Peeves understands! The white rabbit is your toy, sir, Peeves won’t play with him again,” cried the poltergeist, scrabbling at the back wall before he was apparently released by whatever was holding him and promptly shot down the hall.

The golden trio just stared for a moment.

“It must have been the Bloody Barron. Only he could make Peeves so scared,” offered Ron in a hushed tone, though Hermione shook her head. The Bloody Barron wouldn’t defend someone like Ryou.

Harry moved to Ryou’s side, shoving the pieces from the toppled suit of armor aside and helping him to his feet. Ryou looked shaken as well as bruised and covered in ink. 

“Are you ok, Ryou?” Harry asked with a sigh. Ryou nodded, but wouldn’t look at Harry. “I’ve been meaning to…apologize about the other day. I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that,” Harry said and Ryou finally looked at him. His brown eyes were rather blank and his brow slightly knitted.

“It’s ok, Harry. You don’t need to apologize… I’m sorry, but I should go to the hospital wing and get cleaned up. Excuse me.”

Harry blinked dumbly as Ryou turned away and headed for the stairs. Hermione stepped up beside him, watching Ryou disappear behind a bend just as Filch appeared at the end of the hall to finally find out what all the noise was about. The golden trio turned the opposite way and started walking. They stayed in the Great Hall for the entire lunch hour discussing in quiet what they had seen, and it wasn’t just them who were talking about it. 

0

Apparently gossip travels just as fast amongst the dead at Hogwarts as it does the living, for by the end of their lunch period, they overheard Sir Nicholas speaking to the Fat Friar about finding Peeves hiding away in a grandfather clock. When the golden trio asked him for details, the nearly headless ghost merely said that the poltergeist was afraid and kept muttering about a white rabbit having a dangerous shadow. It had taken Professor Dumbledore himself to coax the wayward spirit out of the clock.

By the end of the short tale, Ron had folded his arms complaining that Dumbledore should have just left Peeves in the clock, but Hermione had leaned close to Harry as she held a bundle of books in her arms. Her voice was a breath of a whisper. “…Harry….I think we had better check the restricted section for more about Shadow Magic…”

It was late and dark as the forest surrounding Hogwarts this night. There was hardly a sliver of a moon to give them any light, but that was for the best. Harry had his map open as he, Hermione, and Ron huddled under the invisibility cloak taking a hidden corridor to reach the lower floor where the library was waiting. This wasn’t their first time in the restricted section and it was child’s play to get in here now compared to their first time breaking in during first year. They kept their wands close at hand and only used the lumos spell to check books once Harry had scanned his map once more to make sure all teachers were at the very least on a different floor. Then they began scanning for any promising titles. Harry loitered in the dark arts section, Hermione in the history, and Ron just seemed to be looking at random sections, flitting back and forth amongst various topics. 

Harry’s hunt ended with nothing useful. The only books that had held promise had contents he preferred he hadn’t seen, and a one or two so old they were missing pages. Hermione was faring no better. 

“Hey. What about this one? It has Egyptian scribbles in it,” Ron offered as he brought over a book for Hermione to page through. Her eyes raced across the page faster and faster as she translated each word, but when she turned the page, the book was on an entirely different topic and she frowned. Ron looked at it, reaching over to brush the remnants of some missing pages.

“It’s missing some pages but…anything good?” he asked. Hermione shook her head.

“Someone was here before us clearly interested in the same topic. This book is missing pages too,” she said, tapping one of the history books she had been reading. “The pages are all torn exactly when the book gets most promising…”

Harry let the two discuss their defeat. He was staring at the book Ron had brought over. After a moment, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled wad of old, stained paper. Flattening it out, he laid it in the book, matching the tears perfectly with the page. Hermione quieted.

That had been the page she had found in Ryou’s pocket.

0

“That dirty no good… Why in the blazes won’t he just tell us what he knows? Clearly he knows something since he took all those pages in the library. I bet he’d be in Slytherin if he was sorted.”

“He wasn’t just doing research either…otherwise he wouldn’t have ripped out the pages. He’s hiding the information for some reason. And I’ve only just remembered, but after his first time sitting in on a class with Professor Umbridge, he mentioned something about shadows being dark. Harry, you have to admit something is fishy with Ryou.”

Harry stared at his friends in the empty Gryffindor common room feeling like he should be more annoyed with them than he was, but even he couldn’t deny that Ryou was purposefully hiding things from them. 

“Look, we’ll…confront Ryou about the pages after classes, ok? He might have a reason for not telling us what he found.”

“Or he’ll have an excuse and just lie about it. I knew he was trouble the moment we met him,” Ron said as he folded his arms. Now Harry felt his anger justified.

“Shove off, Ron. Even if he is hiding something, he’s still our friend. Or are you always so quick to throw your friends away?”

Ron was taken aback. He at least had the courtesy to look down at his feet rather than reply.

“I’m going to bed. We’ll sort it out later,” Harry huffed, promptly heading for the boy’s dormitory. Later came quickly though and soon enough the trio were in the hallway of the hospital wing. Both Ron and Harry were exhausted from an early morning of homework and little sleep, but Harry couldn’t put off this confrontation any further.

When they entered the room, Ryou was there for once. He was sitting on his bed, his silhouette just visible behind drawn curtains. Harry approached tentatively and peeked past the curtains to see Ryou resting against the backboard of his bed, holding his magical ring in one hand and lightly tracing the eye in the center with the other. He glanced over at Harry when he noticed him and offered a small smile.

“Hello Harry. Sorry about running off yesterday. You look tired,” he said, voice soft and gentle. Harry sighed and stepped inside. 

“Do you mind if Ron and Hermione step in too?” he asked, and when Ryou shook his head, he beckoned the other two in. 

“Ryou…we wanted to ask you something...something about what we found in Gryffindor tower after you stayed there,” Harry said slowly. Ryou just tilted his head and blinked curiously at him, waiting for Harry to continue. Harry reached into his pocket and withdrew the now nicely folded torn pages and laid them out on Ryou’s bed. Brown eyes flickered to the pages, brow knitting in confusion as he reached out and picked one up to look it over. As his eyes scanned the page he smiled.

“This is wonderful! You found something about shadow magic! Where did you find it?” he asked, face so hopelessly innocent as he looked at the three in turn that for a moment, nobody said anything.

“You found it. You stole these from books in the library. We found the pages in your robes.”

Ron’s voice was accusatory, giving Ryou a look like he was crazy. Ryou’s smile faded and he turned back to the pages. 

“What…” he began, trailing off with not a thought as to what to say. 

“Ryou. There were more pages torn out than just these. If you were the one who took them, we’d really like to see the rest,” Hermione was using a slightly motherly tone, trying to be gentle with her approach. Ryou held his head, confused.

“But I don’t remember taking…I wouldn’t have torn…” he swallowed the lump in his throat and shivered, suddenly looking down with a hint of shame in his face. His hand scooped the pages up and held them close though he didn’t look at them.

“Ryou. You have to tell us what you know. You could save hundreds of lives. Thousands even,” Harry insisted, finally getting Ryou to look at him. His friend stared at him wide eyed for what seemed like ages before his eyes closed and he gave the subtlest of nods.

“….We can’t talk here though. We don’t know who could be listening.”

0

Since wandering the grounds had become near impossible under the ever increasingly restrictive Umbridge Regime, the trio plus one found themselves pressed inside of a narrow tunnel hidden behind a statue of a hunched witch. It was one of seven known hidden passages that led off of school grounds, but they didn’t need to go any further than a few paces down the tunnel to be safe from eavesdroppers.

“Alright, you won’t be overheard here. So spill,” Ron said rather bluntly, peering at Ryou in the dull light of his lumos spell. Ryou fidgeted and took a deep breath.

“If it’s what I think it is, shadow magic can mess with your head…I think. I haven’t really seen much of it, but it seems to do more mental damage than anything physical,” he said softly. He was rarely aware of what was happening when his body was in a shadow game. He could only recall slivers of memories and glimpses of pain. He shivered.

“Wait a minute. You’ve seen shadow magic? Where? When? What does it look like?” Hermione pressed. Ryou looked up at her and rubbed his arm, fingers brushing over a scar on his upper shoulder.

“I don’t really remember…it’s kind of fuzzy. I just remember it being used against…me…about a year ago and being trapped in a place dark and cold. A realm of shadows that just made your head hurt with all sorts of things. Memories and fears get blurred and you don’t remember what’s real or make believe. But then I woke up, like it was some twisted nightmare.”

None of the trio liked the sound of that. Ryou looked up at them nervously. “I didn’t realize at the time what it was, and I promise you, Harry, I didn’t rip pages out of any books. Sometimes things wind up in my house without me knowing.”

All three of the Gryffindors dropped their wary looks to gaze skeptically at Ryou, clearly not buying what seemed like a very slapdash excuse. Ryou had no choice but to continue.

“Shadow magic…it ties in with monsters. Creatures can be controlled by it…like big golden dragons or blue giants. I always thought the monsters were make believe and kind of made from illusions but now I’m not so sure. If the person with the shadow magic is strong, they have complete control over the monster. But if the person is weak, the monsters don’t listen. So…when I wake up and see things that shouldn’t be there…I just …I think a monster left them there.”

Laughter rang in the back of Ryou’s head. Monster indeed.

“Those pages didn’t say anything about monsters, Ryou. How do you know it has to do with monsters?” Hermione asked, crossing her arms and taking everything Ryou said about monsters with a grain of salt. At least Ryou didn’t have to lie about his reply to this one.

“Well, there’s actually a big stone tablet in the museum where I live in Japan. It shows two magicians fighting with monsters, and my friends say they were shadow mages. The hieroglyphs around them said that magicians used to fight with monsters a long long time ago. It’s actually the legend that inspired the card game Duel Monsters, so …some of the monsters on the cards might even be based on creatures from the magical world.”

“And you’re only telling us this now? Ryou, if you knew this from the start, why didn’t you say so before?” Harry barked, irritation evident in his voice. Ryou shrunk back a bit.

“The exhibit isn’t new…I…I didn’t think it was that important.” It was easy enough to find online, but then, electronics didn’t work in such a magic saturated place as Hogwarts. Not that Ryou had known that.

Harry pinched the bridge of his nose before shaking his head.

“Ok, pushing aside that Voldemort,” he began, earning a flinch from Ron, “probably wants shadow magic to control an army of dark monsters…what do you mean you have a monster? Have you seen it?”

Ryou shook his head. “Well…no, not in person,” since to see him in person, Ryou would need to duplicate his body, “…I guess I just assumed weird stuff happening meant…someone else was doing it.” The more he tried to explain, the less believable he sounded to himself. 

“Another alternative is that you’re a loon who has periodic blackouts where you go crazy,” Ron offered, earning a smack from Hermione. But then she paused in her scolding. Luckily her own thoughts kept her attention off of Ryou who had wilted under what he thought was a very accurate description of himself.

“Wait. What if Ryou was put under the imperious curse? That would explain why he wouldn’t remember anything. What if V-Voldemort has been using him this whole time to gather information?”

“That’s impossible. How would Voldemort possibly control Ryou?” Harry dismissed, but the other two were watching Harry carefully.

“I don’t know, Harry, but then… I don’t know how you’re seeing Voldemort’s thoughts either.”

Harry’s expression soon turned grave at Hermione’s words, and his eyes fell to the floor.

“I don’t think your evil wizard has taken control of me. I’d have known, right?” Ryou offered, though honestly it would be the spirit of the ring who would tell him, he was sure. After all, he never knew when he woke up if the spirit had gone gallivanting about in his body doing bad deeds such as destroying library books until someone else brought it up.

More chuckling rang in his ears.

“Besides, if I was being controlled, wouldn’t he make me leave Hogwarts so he could catch me? Isn’t that why I’m here, so that doesn’t happen?” 

Hermione hesitated but soon nodded. “I suppose that’s true, but it’s far more likely than if you had a monster…”she blinked again as if she just had another realization. 

The white haired boy folded his arms and gave her a once over. “Monster was the best I could come up with to try to explain what happened around me as a kid. Though it was probably magic now that I realize it exists to such an extent. Maybe not even magic from me, but from the other kids around me and they just weren’t allowed to say so. So, since I’ve told you about the monsters, what have you learned? The pages mention tomb keepers. Do you know anything about them? I couldn’t find anything in the library with further information,” he asked, tone seeming a bit guarded yet strong. Perhaps, Hermione thought, curiosity was steadying his nerves? Still, she was hesitant to answer.

“Come on, I gave you some information…it’s only fair to do the same back, right?” he smiled so politely at her. 

“Well…from what we’ve read, the tomb keepers are highly secretive and aren’t easily found…” she began, but Bakura wanted to scoff at the stupidity of such a statement. It was a no duh observation. He maintained his smile though. “They are classified as untraceable. No type of magic can find them, as if they placed up wards against seeking magic, and what little has been learned from them is from when they’ve tracked down a witch or wizard to stop them from doing something they disliked, such as breaking into tombs. They keep everything very close to the chest. Say, you mentioned you had a friend in Egypt. Does your friend know the tomb keepers?” Hermione asked, looking disappointed when Ryou shook his head.

“Know the tomb keepers? No, he’s never mentioned knowing tomb keepers.” No no. His friend WAS a tomb keeper. Entirely different than knowing them. 

“You know…maybe the tomb keepers have the same magic as Ryou. They both have something to do with shadow magic, so maybe that’s why they’re untraceable. Maybe shadow magic has…a passive power or something,” Harry thought aloud and immediately Bakura rounded on him curiously.

“I’m untraceable? What do you mean?” he pressed. Harry shrugged.

“Well…I mean, you don’t show up on my map and it’s supposed to show everyone in Hogwarts. It’s never been wrong before…and Hedwig has never failed to deliver mail, but she couldn’t find you over Christmas. Your ring is magic, yet nobody from the ministry ever traced it to you. You’ve been attacked by magic, but nobody came to erase your memory about it…it’s like you’re in a black zone of magic detection.”

Bakura blinked. This was news indeed. Between this and what that Dumbledoaf had said, the spirit of the ring was quickly drawing some conclusions regarding shadow magic in relation to this…mundane magic. He was almost tempted to reward this lot of overly curious pawns for the shard of useful information by explaining to them what shadow magic was in its essence, but then the temptation passed.

/….Can you at least tell me what shadow magic is?/

Bakura nearly chuckled and looked about the tunnel to hide his reaction. Such a clever host, trying to listen in on his thoughts. Ah he would do better in keeping them under lock and key now that he was letting Ryou stay awake more often and his Yadonushi was on the path to becoming exactly what he was trying to learn about. Though the term ‘shadow mage’ sounded far too goody goody for his liking. He had preferred being called a shadow master or a shayde thief. They both had a far better ring to them.

“Hey….we should get back. Snape is starting to patrol the halls near here,” Harry said quietly before looking at Ryou. “Is there anything else, anything at all, that you want to tell us?” he asked. Bakura just gave him a sweet smile.

“No, not a thing,” he replied. Then at Harry’s nod, he left the tunnel and started for the hospital wing.

“Harry,” Hermione stopped Harry as he was halfway to the exit, “Ryou’s monster….it’s invisible. Or at least has the power to become invisible. That’s what attacked Peeves. It must have been,” she explained quickly. 

The trio slept on this new information, wondering just how dangerous Ryou’s monster could be. Was it evil? Could it think? Did Ryou control it at all? What kind of creature could attack ghosts?

0

In the darkness of the hospital wing, a certain monster was smiling as he prodded a fire. He reached into his pocket, pulling out crumpled wads of old paper with various inked drawings and writings on them in multiple languages. One by one he straightened out the papers, eyes glancing over the contents.

/Those are the missing pages from the books…when did you take them?/

“In the hospital wing while you were talking to those mundane mages. Heh, poor Yadonushi, you mean you didn’t even notice?” purred the spirit as he tossed the pages into the fire. He smiled as he watched them burn.


	26. Success and Failure

“This symbolizes death. Death in the past of the loved. Most likely it refers to someone you lost when you were very young. Someone you were close to.”

Harry frowned at the cards spread out before them but nodded. Yes, he knew what that was referring to. His parents. He looked to the next set of cards as they were flipped over.

“…huh. That’s weird. This card also symbolizes death. But it’s death in the present. Someone you knew died within this past year….”

Harry winced and looked away. Cedric. Perhaps he shouldn’t have agreed to this.

“Harry, do you want me to stop?” Ryou asked. He sat across from Harry, cards spread out in some fancy pattern between them. Some were face up, but a few were still face down.

“Oh don’t stop now, dear, you were doing splendidly.”

The sound of another voice made both boys jump a bit. Professor Trelawney was standing over them looking giddy, her large spectacled eyes sitting on Ryou. The white haired boy blushed and immediately looked away. Personally, Harry was surprised to see the divination teacher away from her tower. She rarely came down from that overly perfumed torture chamber.

“My dear child, you have a gift with the cards. It is such a shame you are doomed to a young end,” she cooed, gingerly patting his shoulder. 

“Professor, we weren’t doing this seriously. Just for fun. My predictions aren’t real ones,” Ryou said, moving to start cleaning up the cards. The divination teacher seemed disappointed. 

“Have more faith, dear boy, for I think you may just have an inner eye,” she spoke quietly in a wispy tone, before turning to Harry. “Ah, yes, Mr. Potter. Your head of house would like a word. Hurry along.”

Harry sighed wondering what he had done this time. “I’ll see you later, Ryou,” he offered as he gathered his belongings and left the hospital wing. Ryou watched him go before glancing back down at the cards. He reached down and flipped one more card, frowning at what he saw. His head rang with laughter from the spirit of the ring.

/Well well, 3 in a row. There’s death in his past, death in his present, and death in his future. Yadonushi, make sure you get the most of that four eyes while you can. It doesn’t look like fate has good things in store for him. /

0  
What Professor McGonagall wanted was nothing more than big Q and A about Ryou disguised as a lecture about his transfiguration work. Umbridge had made it difficult to outright talk about subjects other than what the teacher was supposed to be teaching, but Professor McGonagall would always find a way.

The professor’s primary concerns were Ryou’s encounter with Peeves and his weird ring. She had been speaking to Professor Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey about a certain incident that had resulted in Ryou staying the night in Gryffindor Tower and it brought up some concerns.

“I don’t know what ring you’re talking about,” Harry lied, “Ryou doesn’t wear anything on his hands.”

“Mister Potter, you know very well I’m talking about his necklace. He puts it on his bedside table every night from what I’ve been told. I just want to check it for curses or other questionable incantations.”

“I’m sorry professor, but trust me when I say you’ve got better luck getting me back on the quidditch team than getting Ryou to let go of that charm of his. It’s all he’s had of his family for years,” Harry sighed, twisting the truth just a bit. His Head of House seemed to dislike his reply.

“Has it been in his possession for so long? Well…so be it, but watch out for him, Mister Potter. Keep him out of sight of Professor Umbridge as much as possible. It’s only a matter of time before she finds an excuse to send him away, and that business with the ring earlier this term is just what she’d need to do it. You’re lucky she has been so preoccupied that she hasn’t connected those dots already,” she said sternly. Harry nodded and inside was surprisingly pleased that the teachers were hiding something as important as an attack on another student from that idiotic pink professor.

“Go on then. You’re dismissed. But you come straight to me if something happens, understood?” 

“Yes professor.”

Minerva McGonagall watched Harry leave, having the strong sense that he wasn’t telling her everything.

“And Mister Potter?” 

Harry stopped at the door, looking back over his shoulder.

“Mister Bakura won’t be going to Hogsmeade this Valentine’s day. It’s far too dangerous for him.”

Harry bristled a bit and was about to retort about how it’s no more dangerous for Ryou than it was for him, but the look his professor gave him made him swallow his words.

“…..yes, professor,” he finally grumbled before he exited the room.

0

“It’s such a shame you can’t go to Hogsmeade again, Ryou. Everything is going to be prettied up for the holiday,” Hermione sighed as the trio plus one sat in an empty hall on one of the upper floors. Harry had his weird magical map spread out across his legs to keep a lookout for professors just in case they started talking about something they didn’t want overheard. Particularly professors that wore too much pink. A certain white haired miscreant was eyeing the map greedily but soon turned away to face the female.

“That’s too bad. I’d really like to go too,” he said, carefully choosing his words. “I guess there’s no way to sneak out of the castle though. It’s too well guarded,” he sighed, looking down at his lap and folding his hands. 

Harry blinked down at the Marauder’s Map a moment and then looked over at Ryou.

“Well….actually, there are a few ways to sneak you out,” he began. Hermione shook her head.

“Harry, no, it’s too dangerous for Ryou to go! Yes, it is a shame he can’t, but he can’t for a reason.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Hermione, if it’s safe for me, the person at the top of Voldemort’s hit list, then it’s safe for him,” he replied, nodding towards Ryou. Then he was moving the map over to Ryou’s lap and smoothing it out. 

“Ok, so there are seven secret passages out of Hogwarts, but….” Harry began explaining all the routes, and Bakura’s smile widened with each detail.

0

Over the next few days before the trip to Hogsmeade, Harry didn’t see much of Ryou except after classes. Ryou was keeping himself scarce and was getting better and better at getting around the castle using the various secret passages. Sometimes Harry swore that suddenly Ryou knew the castle better than he did, and he’d spent nearly five years here.

A day before the trip to Hogsmeade, Harry met up with an exhausted Ryou for lunch in the Great Hall. It seemed Neville was trying to keep up a conversation with the boy, but Ryou kept zoning out and asking Neville to repeat whatever it was he just said. Harry took a seat close to Ryou but before he could even ask what was going on, someone else butted in between the two.

“Geeze, it’s almost like you’ve been creeping around the corridors at night, breaking into the Ravenclaw and Slytherin dorms,” said a chipper voice that sat beside Ryou. 

“Yeah, or maybe running about the hallways spooking all the ghosts and paintings,” said an exact copy of that voice as it sat on Ryou’s other side.

Ryou blinked and looked back and forth between the twins. “What are you two talking about??” he asked, utterly confused.

“Well, we’ve been interviewin’ students left and right, see? Somebody is out-pranking us and it just doesn’t look good for our reputation,” said the twin on the right.

“We’ve been able to get everywhere,”  
“Everywhere,”  
“Except into the other common rooms,”  
“But whoever it is that’s been going around lately,”  
“Has been able to sneak in,”  
“Utterly undetected.”

Ryou looked back and forth as each spoke and soon he was getting dizzy.

“So, Ryou, where were you last night at around eight in the evening?” asked the twin on the left, pretending to hold a light in Ryou’s face like he was in a police investigation.

“Anou…I don’t know. Bed probably?”

“Yeah…seems like that’s everyone’s alibi. Harry,” suddenly the twins whirled around on the other boy sitting at the table. “What about you? Were you off doing some daring super-secret missions in the midst of the evening light again?”

Harry cracked a smile. “Oh yeah. Loads of missions. Top secret stuff,” he replied. The twins gave him matching smirks. 

“Wasn’t them then,”  
“Onto the hufflepuff table.”

As the twins marched off, Harry just chuckled and shook his head. “Don’t mind them, Ryou. They always get like that when a new prankster starts causing trouble. They like swapping info and stuff like that,” Harry explained. Ryou let out an ‘oh’ of understanding and turned to watch the twins, whom were now happily engaged in conversation with a Hufflepuff wearing a sly, mischievous grin.

“So, Ryou…about your plans for tomorrow. Well, see, I’ve got plans too so…you’ll be on your own and all. You don’t mind do you?” he asked, glancing quickly at the Ravenclaw table before staring adamantly at his plate.

Ryou blinked, glancing at the Ravenclaw table as well. There were a group of girls sitting there and they giggled when they caught Ryou’s eye. He smiled and looked back at Harry. 

“That’s fine, I don’t mind. Maybe…” he was about to say maybe he’d just stay at the castle, but his words quickly changed, “…you can let me borrow that map of yours. You know…so that I can sneak out easier and get back without anyone noticing,” he said, smile now a smirk. 

Harry was suddenly hesitant; casting furtive looks around the tables to make sure nobody was listening. 

“Ryou….I don’t know if that’s such a good idea. You need magic to hide what it is and, well, you don’t have a wand. If it fell into the wrong hands….” He whispered quietly. Ryou gave an award winning smile.

“As long as I have the map, I won’t get caught. I’ll see anyone approaching,” he replied too sweetly. 

“The map only shows this castle, so once you’re out of range, no more names.”

Well that made the map suddenly less amazing. Too bad. If it had been able to change to any location he was in, Bakura would never return it. Ah well.

“Then I’ll just have to be super careful. Besides, once I meet up with you and your friends, I can give it back and you can wipe the evidence.”

Harry weighed this in his mind before finally nodded. “I suppose…yeah I guess that makes sense. Just…I’ll be busy for a bit. No idea for how long, so you’ll have to come later,” he said quickly, looking at Ryou who merely smiled in return.

“Oh don’t worry. I wouldn’t dream of interrupting you on your date,” he said in a silky smooth voice.

Harry turned an incredible shade of scarlet. Any thoughts about why Ryou was tired earlier were suddenly gone from his mind.

0

Bakura waited until the rest of the school had long since headed down to the little wizarding village. He made sure to walk around the castle and be seen by various professors and ghosts before retiring to the hospital wing. But he didn’t stay long of course. He left the curtains drawn around his bed and was slipping out the window seconds later. If Ryou had been in control, his heart would be gripped with fear, but the spirit of the ring was far more sure footed than his host was. It also helped that this old style castle was full of useful grips and perches for his hands and feet. If he could scale sand blown pyramids in ancient Egypt, this was a cake walk. It didn’t take long at all to maneuver himself to a level where he could just jump the rest of the distance to the grounds. 

/Koe, are you sure the willow is the best way to go? Harry said-/

“I know what that foolish four eyes said, Yadonushi, but we’ve been practicing these past two months and this will be your test to see how far you’ve come,” replied the spirit, smirking as he looked at the map clutched in his hands. All of the teachers were either in their lounges or investigating the string of mysterious robberies that had struck the Hufflepuff dormitories this morning.

“Now, there’s the tree. Let’s see what you can do….” The spirit of the ring took a deep breath and paused, crouched in the shrubs nearest the great but violent tree that rested on Hogwarts grounds. Soon his confident exterior melted away to nervousness.

“I don’t know if I can do this…”

/Remember, Yadonushi, the knot at the base. Come on, you want to play with your little friends, don’t you? So do it. We’ll be going either way, and depending on what you do will change whether or not you’ll remember our time there./

Ryou bit his lip, then reached into his pocket and pulled out the little playing piece he had been practicing with from the room of requirement. He stared at it and placed one hand on the millennium ring hung snug under his layers of clothes. Nothing was happening.

/Concentrate, Yadonushi./

Ryou grit his teeth and closed his eyes, trying to focus. The spirit had been drilling him on this specifically for the past week saying how easy it was. But it wasn’t easy. It wasn’t easy at all.

The spirit of the ring watched as the little figurine slowly blinked and flapped its black skeletal wings. The smoke that made up its body swirled to hide the obsidian frame and soon a puff of blue flame jutted from its mouth. It was … passable, he supposed. But the spirit was disappointed at the size. It would do for this task, but it would not be a useful weapon in his monster arsenal until his host could do this properly.

As if it heard his disapproval, the little wisp of a dragon glared defiantly up at him.

“Look! I did it!” Ryou exclaimed once he finally opened his eyes. The little shadow monster in his hand cooed at its master loyally. 

/Well, get on with it. Send it to its task./

Ryou blinked and nodded. “Ok. Nevermore, go to that tree and hit the knot at the base,” Ryou instructed the playing piece sized monster. The dragon immediately took off from his master’s hand and went straight towards the womping willow. The tree didn’t even acknowledge such a fly and within seconds, the willow was still and rigid. 

Ryou wiped sweat from his brow and hurried over.

/You still tire from such basic magic?/

“Well, I haven’t been at it for 3000 years like you have. Getting Nevermore to move is hard!” Ryou argued as he reached the base of the tree, though the spirit saw that as no excuse for weakness. Ryou stopped and grimaced at the dark, narrow hole he was supposed to enter at the roots of the willow. 

/Darkness shouldn’t scare you anymore, Yadonushi. My shadows are far darker than that./

Well, that was true. With a deep breath, Ryou slid inside. His little monster disappeared into a puff of black smoke and the tree moved once more.

The passage wasn’t as bad as Ryou thought, albeit a bit claustrophobic. What made this a bit less scary was the voice of the spirit in the back of his mind. Sure, it was mocking him for his puny shadow monster, but at least he wasn’t alone down here.

Soon enough, his hand brushed against something that wasn’t dirt and roots. It was still wooden, but smooth. He could feel the distinct edge of a moldy plank. A few more steps and light trickled down into the passage and a few steps further found Ryou in a very worn down remnant of a house. It was funny how much this broken down place reminded him of his own house in Little Whinging when he had first returned. Sure, Harthrow House was lacking in the claw marks, broken floor boards, and exploded furniture, but both places held such an intense eerie feeling to their dark, dusty halls. 

Ryou walked around, trying to be quiet amongst the squeaking floor boards. “I wonder what did all of this,” he murmured aloud as he reached out to trace a large gouge taken out of the wall by…something.

/An animal. Look at the jaggedness of the cut and angle of the mark. And over there, Yadonushi, bite marks. A large animal./

The spirit was clearly interested and delighted by the find, but the delight didn’t last long. There was a heavy dust layer on…well…everything. A few things here and there didn’t have such a thick coating of dust, such as the railing or the steps, but everything was dusty none the less. People and animals simply didn’t come here.

“I wonder where we are...”

/In Hogsmeade, Yadonushi, that was the point./

“But where….oh! This can only be the Shrieking Shack!” Ryou exclaimed, suddenly excited. He smiled brilliantly and hurried to the windows to peak out. There was the withered garden and the gnarled wrought iron fence. Yes, this was most definitely the old haunted mansion he had seen last visit. 

“Then those cuts and marks must have been from that werewolf Hermione mentioned before. It’s too bad the werewolf isn’t here anymore. I think it would be cool to meet one,” Ryou sighed and the spirit agreed with him.

/Yes, a werewolf would be a powerful ally, Yadonushi./

That wasn’t what Ryou had meant, but surely the spirit already knew that.

After taking another couple of minutes to look around the inside of the house, Ryou headed out the door and across the garden. He stopped at the fence to turn and give the old building one last appreciative look when a sound reached his ears.

“Well well well, look who’s decided to be the new haunt of that ruddy old scar on the town.”

Ryou spun around quickly, eyes locking with none other than Draco Malfoy. Surprisingly, his two cohorts weren’t with him today. Ryou’s eyes quickly scanned for any sign of a weapon, but the only thing the Slytherin was wielding at the moment was a smug little grin. That didn’t stop Ryou’s eyes from sharpening and his hands from clenching into fists.

“I hear you were beaten in a fight by a suit of armor. What’s it like, not even being able to stand up to a pile of scrap metal?” Draco taunted, smirking since he knew he was getting a rise out of his target. What happened next happened so fast, Draco barely had time to reach his pocket to grab his wand. Then he was on his back, holding his face, while Bakura stood over him glaring down.

“Consider that payback. For a few things,” he hissed at him. Then he smirked. “And don’t bother squealing to anyone. It’s not like they’ll believe you. Besides, you don’t want everyone to know that a big bad wizard like yourself lost to muggle who can’t even beat a scrap of metal do you?” 

Draco’s eyes went from shocked and panicked to angry in a heartbeat. He scrambled clumsily to his feet, wiping a trickle of blood from his lip, and groped a tree behind him to help him regain his footing. 

“Just wait, you filthy muggle. I’ll- ” he began, but his words were cut short as something slid across his cheek and imbedded itself into the tree beside his face. The young Slytherin’s eyes slowly glanced over and met the shiny sleek iron of a knife. He yelped and jumped back, away from the weapon.

“You barbarian!” he yelled, startled but trying to stay tough.

“Oh, there are far worse things that I could do to you besides chop you up into little pieces, boy,” Bakura purred, another knife already in his hands. He tossed his knife up lightly, catching it blade first and never breaking eye contact with Draco. Finally Malfoy swallowed his pride and took off, Bakura watching him scamper like a mouse from a cat.

“Bloody hell!”

The whitenette’s eyes snapped over to Hermione and Ron, both of whom were staring at him in shock from just down the path. The spirit had to work hard to hide his smirks away and replace them with uncertainty, but his eyes still glimmered with faint amusement.

“I…I was just trying to scare him off. I wasn’t ever going to really hurt him,” he started, “But he just kept bullying me…so I thought maybe if I pretended I could hurt him bad, he’d leave me be.”

“Well sure, I mean, that little git ain’t gonna pick on somebody who can beat him back, but geeze, I didn’t know you had that in you! Just like Hermione a couple years ago!” Ron applauded, but Hermione wasn’t as impressed. The two of them had been too far away to hear anything or see much detail. All they saw was Ryou deck Malfoy then throw something at him. Hermione couldn’t exactly scold Ryou for punching Malfoy in the face since….well…heavens knows he probably deserved it, but her eyes fell to the tree.

“Ryou….is that a knife?” she asked, breath caught in her throat. Ron finally looked over and his eyes widened. After a minute of deciding there was no way to hide that yes, that was indeed a knife, Bakura gave a single nod.

“Ryou! How could you do something so dangerous? What if you had missed?” Hermione blurted, looking aghast. Bakura just set her with a deadpan stare before he lifted his hand where the second knife sat delicately between two fingers and threw it at the tree all while never breaking eye contact with Hermione. There was a quiver as the knife imbedded itself into the wooden handle of the first.

“I don’t miss.”

Ron beamed. “Cool,” he finally said, walking over to examine the blades. They looked like kitchen knives to him. Just the right size for a house elf too.

Bakura finally went over and retrieved his defense, letting them disappear in his robes, which only made Hermione shift uncomfortably. Whoops. Perhaps he just might have gone a bit too far.

“W-well…I’ve got to go meet Harry soon at the Three Broomsticks…so…Ryou, you can….hang out with Ron until we finish. Then we’ll catch up with you. It’s probably for the best that…that you’re not alone here,” Hermione said, not quite making eye contact as she played with her hair instead. Bakura blinked as the harshness melted from his eyes.

“Oh Hermione, I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m sorry,” Ryou offered, tone sweet and gentle. He didn’t dare approach her, fearing he’d make her run. Hermione didn’t reply right away, thinking things over. Finally she looked up to meet his gaze. It was his eyes that made her calm down.

“Don’t worry about it, Ryou. You were…protecting yourself,” she said carefully before she turned and headed back down the path.

/I don’t like that one./

Yeah, well she didn’t really like the spirit either, Ryou thought as he frowned, watching Hermione go. Ron walked over to stand beside him.

“Don’t worry about her. Whatever you did was bloody brilliant. The look on Malfoy’s face! Well…at least, what I saw of it when I got close enough. Classic,” he replied, smiling stupidly as he thought back. Ryou offered a tiny smile back.

“Oh…Ron, before I forget. Harry let me borrow his map. He said only a wizard could hide it?” Ryou said as he pulled out the parchment with the Hogwarts castle on it.

/Ra damned host./

Ron took it and quickly tapped his wand to the pages, muttering a quick ‘mischief managed’ and the two watched the ink fade to nothing. It was almost cool enough to wash away what just happened from Ryou’s mind. Almost.

“So what’s Hermione doing with Harry?” Ryou asked, looking away and fidgeting a bit. Ron was oblivious to any awkwardness around the other teen.

“Dunno. She mentioned something about an interview, but I wasn’t really paying attention,” he replied. Then the two were heading into town.

0

“So she really just…gave up on the training?” Ryou asked Ron as the two sat outside one of the many stores that littered Hogsmeade. This one was famous for its sugar mice, and luckily Ron never questioned where Ryou suddenly got all the money to treat him to some.

“Well, Angelina knows a hopeless case when she sees it,” Ron mumbled, looking a tad miserable. “We were practicing for hours before she finally threw her hands up and left the pitch. She never said practice was over and all, but well…Ginny and me took that as our cue to leave while we could still breath.”

Ryou felt bad for Ron. By the sounds of it, his quidditch team wasn’t doing so well without Harry and the twins.

“I’m sure with practice, everything will be fine,” he offered, but the words seemed to bounce off of Ron. Perhaps the best route was to change the topic. “Anou…should we go see if Hermione and Harry are done with their interview?” he asked, but that made Ron pale.

“And let Harry know that I’m here and not practicing? He’ll hate me for sure. But, I guess you’re right. There’s no use moping ‘round here about it is there?” he asked as he got up, Ryou a step behind him. 

“Well….we can go back to Howarts if you want, Ron,” he said softly. Ryou was a fan of Hogsmeade and would have liked to explore it some more with Harry, but he didn’t mind leaving if it made Ron feel better. Ron nodded.

“It’s probably for the best. Everyone’s heading back around now anyway…. Hey, maybe I can get you to play quidditch in my place. You’ll probably be better at it.”

Ryou blushed and highly doubted the accuracy of that statement. He was more of a board gamer, not an athletic gamer.

“But hey, shouldn’t we sneak you in?” Ron suddenly asked as they were half way down the street. Ryou merely shrugged.

“There’s not really a point now, right? I mean…it’s not like I can be put in detention,” he replied and finally Ron cracked a grin.

“Yeah. You don’t know how lucky you are about that,” he said and continued on. The two were just leaving the main street of Hogsmeade heading to the road that led up to Hogwarts Castle when it happened. Ron was suddenly thrown backwards, spinning through the air like a ballerina. A hand gripped Ryou’s wrist but the young boy was quick to jerk away before those fingers could tighten.

“Ron!” he called, racing to the other’s side. He had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. The worst part of all was that this wasn’t even a secluded area. A handful of students were stopping all along the path and gaping or yelling, and one or two were scrambling away.

“Grab him!” someone yelled from behind as Ryou yanked Ron to his feet.

“Death Eaters! Ryou, we gotta go!” Ron stuttered, tripping as he righted himself. The two barely took a step before a curse was yelled behind them, causing the ground they were just standing on to blacken. By now, one of the more mentally collected of the bystanders had snuck off to get help, but most of the audience was being held captive by fear as more cloaked wizards appeared, wands aimed at the few unlucky souls who happened upon the scene.

“Shh shh shh~ Hush little chickadees, we aren’t here for you. Just him,” cooed a female voice, wand pointing towards Ryou. She flicked her wand and Ryou gasped, yanked off his feet by a golden rope that snared around his neck. He gagged and clawed at it, much to the delight of the woman who laughed with glee. Ryou’s heart raced as she dragged him closer, staring at her deranged smile.

“Stop right there!” For a moment, the sound of that voice filled Ryou with relief before another yank made him tense again. Professor McGonagall was racing up the road, flanked by a few students and strangers, including Harry, Hermione, and some older blonde woman with an acid green quill floating beside her. 

“Oh, hmmm let me think. No,” cackled the deranged witch. McGonagall launched her spell, hitting the golden rope and making it burst into harmless yellow sparks. Ryou coughed and scrambled away as fast as he could, not even bothering to stand as he quickly tried to make his escape on hands and knees.

“He’s MY shadow mage! I caught him first!” bellowed the dark witch as another spell went flying towards Ryou, but it was blocked by a powerful incantation from the approaching professor. 

“Mr. Bakura, get up and get behind me,” she ordered, but the other witch laughed and sent a slew of curses so fast at the teacher that she had no choice but to back up in defense. Then there were two more death eaters on her.

“You’re mistaken. I’m not a shadow mage!” Ryou called out as he got to his feet, only to dodge a blast from a spell. 

“Oooh yes you are, don’t play coy,” snarled the woman as she launched another rope at Ryou. This time he had a thief’s reflexes to dodge it. The woman howled and the thief king honestly couldn’t tell if it was in rage or delight. But he suddenly placed the voice. She had been in his host’s house when they had tried to go home for Christmas. 

The spirit was broken from his thoughts as the Hogwarts witch, whatever her name was, blasted back her attackers. One landed near him and Bakura took the chance to nail him in the face with a good kick. The deatheater howled something like ‘not again’ as he rolled away, covering his broken nose. Bakura didn’t have time to gloat though. The downed wizard sent a silent spell at the thief and Bakura’s attempt at defense at such short range led to a rather….volatile explosion. His shadows had only a fraction of a second to work and were interrupted by the spell, sending both parties flying in opposite directions. With a harsh thud and skid, the thief king was sent back to the ground. The second he stood, something tightened around his waist. 

“Oooh well doesn’t that go and prove it~”

He glared down at the infernal golden rope binding him and tried to force himself away despite the cackling of the witch who owned it. Well fine, if her wand was being used up for this stupid spell then that left her defenseless. 

Bakura spun on his heel and charged the death eater, grinning in delight at her surprised expression but he hadn’t anticipated that she could detach the gold rope from her wand without it disappearing. He didn’t let that stop his momentum, but she was already sidestepping his assault and when he tried to change tactics and nail her with a sweep of his leg, she flicked her wand and guarded against it with some invisible shield. 

“Well well well, a shadow mage AND spunky, oh I want to keep you,” she purred, reaching over and grabbing a handful of white hair.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m a muggle,” Bakura snarled at her, making a move to yank free, but she pressed her wand to his neck and made him go rigid. That didn’t stop his glares though.

“You’re a dark magic master,” she yelled at him, angry one second, sweet the second after. “Unless of course you don’t know? Hmmm that makes this even more delicious,” she hummed, then in a move that made Bakura’s face contort in disgust, she yanked his head sideways and dragged her tongue up his neck. “Oh yes, I can just taste the dark powers in you, boy,” she laughed. Wand be damned, Bakura moved to punch her.

“Ah ah, naughty thing,” she cooed as ropes bound his arms to his side, “and don’t look at me like that. Such a beautiful scowl should be saved for another time,” The woman said as she grabbed his chin and shook his face back and forth a bit. Around them, McGonagall was dispatching deatheaters with the help of one of the local wizards, but the moment she saw Ryou in the woman’s hands, her wand turned to them.

“Let him go, Lestrange,” she demanded, but the demented witch only laughed again, looking up from her playtime and surveying McGonagall. 

“No. He’s my new fluffy little pet hahahahaha,” she replied, holding the boy close against her and petting his hair. The boy jerked in her grasp but her grip was iron. “Uh-oh, the boy who lived wants to play too,” Lestrange whispered in Bakura’s ear, and lo and behold, Harry was moving to join the fight, wand waving. Lestrange straightened up.

“Not today, Harry, not today. But you’ll get yours in time,” she cooed. The deatheaters began to huddle up and regroup, cutting off Harry’s desperate gaze towards his friend.

“Now stop squirming unless you want to get splinched,” Lestrange hissed in her prey’s ear as the thief fought and fought to the best of his ability. If he could just get the shadows to the rope…

Then with a loud pop, they were gone.


	27. Hiding Shadows

Harry paced the common room, walking back and forth so vigorously that the twins joked he was going to wear a trench in the ground. Of course, they were met with some rude shouting and angry glares from the resident chosen one. Neither Ron nor Hermione knew what to say to Harry. They had neither words of comfort (which would only get them yelled at) nor words of advice. So in the end they ended up just watching him empty the common room with his bad attitude for a good hour.

“He’s gone. Voldemort’s got him, and it’s all my fault,” he hissed into a now empty minus three common room. He groaned and kicked at one of the heavy plush armchairs by the fire, ignoring the pain that shot through his foot. “I shouldn’t have let him use the map…I should’ve…he was right there. Right. There!” he yelled and this time threw whatever poor soul had left their school supplies sitting on the table by the fire onto the ground. Only then did he collapse into one of the armchairs, shaking his head.

“Harry…” Hermione began, wanting to reach out to comfort her friend but retracting her hand at the last minute. Instead she folded her hands on her lap. “We’ll find a way to get him back. Whatever Voldemort wants with Ryou, he wants him alive…so…we have time to save him. Dumbledore will think of something.”

Tch. Dumbledore. Where has Dumbledore been this entire year when Harry’s needed him? Harry buried his face in his hands.

“…where do you think they took him?” Ron asked after the crackling of the fire died down to silence. Harry stared at the embers.

“….I don’t know.”

0

Harry Potter woke up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night, pain searing through his scar. His mental link with Voldemort burned hotter than ever. Riddle was angry. That anger was boiling in Harry’s own blood, making him grit his teeth as he held his forehead, fingers pressed against the scar in hopes that pressure would stop his brain from wanting to burst from his skull. Slowly, the attack began to subside and his breathing evened out.

“Harry….you ‘lright?”

Harry looked up and tugged the curtains from around his bed, blinking in surprise to see multiple sets of eyes on him. Dean, Ron, even Seamus was looking at him with concern. He had to take a few breaths, trying to wrap his head around what he had just felt, yet focus on the present at the same time. It was an impossible task.

“….’m fine…just a bad…dream.”

“Is it about your friend? The one with the weird white hair?” One of them asked. Harry couldn’t even remember which one had asked, because at the thought of Ryou, the anger that had boiled up inside him during his dreams filled his mind instead of sense.

“Butt out! It’s none of your business!” he growled, tugging the curtain closed again. It took a moment before something clicked. His anger was related to Ryou…no…not Harry’s anger. Voldemort’s.

Worry raged against fury inside Harry. Why was Voldemort so angry with Ryou? What was going on wherever it was that Ryou had gotten whisked away too?

Hidden behind the sheers of his curtain, he held his legs against his chest. He knew the other boys were staring his way, though they kept silent. But whether they thought he was a crazed loon or not, that wasn’t the pressing concern right now. What he needed was to talk to someone who would know. Who would…be able to tell him something even remotely useful. Dumbledore was out. The headmaster still wouldn’t even look at Harry, and honestly, maybe that was for the best. The more he dreamt of Voldemort, the darker his thoughts became whenever he saw the headmaster.

But again, Harry shook that from his mind. It wasn’t important right now.

Professor McGonagall was out. She still saw him as just a child and kept babying him, telling him they were doing their best to find information….but when had the order ever told him anything he didn’t already know? Besides when they told him he could be possessed by a mad man, but that hadn’t been shared with him on purpose.

As a last ditch effort, he turned to another rather unexpected professor. All night he had spent debating what to do, and the longer he thought about it the more ridiculous it seemed….but come time for divination, he arrived early for class and approached the professor. Trelawny was crazy and had about as much talent at seeing the future as a dead mouse for sure, but the half man half horse that had taken over her classes seemed more…genuine. Although, the centaur himself said divining the future wasn’t actually possible. Still.

“Professor? Professor Firenze?”

Softly, the clip clop of worn hooves on grass made its way over to the boy who lived. Firenze towered over Harry in a way that would have been intimidating if not for his gentle face and the knowledge that he would never harm Harry.

“What questions do you have for me, Harry Potter?” he asked in a voice wise with experience yet hinted with mysticism.

“Errr….it’s about my friend. Ryou Bakura. I was wondering if you could see if you…well…saw anything. About him…”

Firenze gave Harry a long look for a moment. 

“I only, I can’t think of any other way to even get a hint of if he’s ok. I know you can’t control or see the future or anything but….could you keep an eye out for him? Or something? And…let me know?” he blurted.

Firenze sighed and stepped closer. “Harry Potter….the effect of but one soul is usually far too trivial to move the heavens. Usually,” he paused, giving Harry another long look, “But... I will look into the smoke and see if this Ryou Bakura is there.”

Harry smiled, though it was small and wanting. He knew this route had little promise, but any promise was still something. 

0

It was a strange feeling. Like everything was getting squeezed. It made him feel sick and queasy, as did the accompanying laughter. Then a deep coldness crept around him and yanked him from his core. At first the cold was welcome, the sensation replacing the horrible tightness and constriction, but then he was swirling through darkness and he wanted to vomit all over again.

When he hit the dirt that was precisely what he did too.

Ryou shuddered, hands splattered with this afternoon’s meal, and slowly pushed himself to a sitting position. Wind howled in his ears, but that was the only sound to hear. He blinked and looked around but all he saw was waist high grass and trees in the distance. There were no deatheaters to be seen.

“…..where are we?”

From what he could see, there was nothing. Nothing at all. No houses, no people, no animals….just an expanse of field. He stood up, picked a direction, and started walking.

“Koe? Do you know where we are? Why would that lady drop us here?” he asked, praying for an answer. He was feeling lightheaded from whatever she had done to them. That teleporty thing had been dreadful, but the spirit’s silence was making him nervous. He felt his chest to make sure the ring was still in place, sighing in relief when warm gold pressed against his skin.

“Koe….If there was magic hiding something here you’d know right? Of course you would,” he said, then kept on trudging along in silence. After a half hour of the same scene, he sighed and sat down again. 

“Koe, you wouldn’t know which way is home, would you?” Again only silence greeted him. He pulled out the millennium ring and looked at it again. “Koe?”

After a moment, one of the tines lifted and pointed off to the right. Ryou sighed and smiled softly. Well, that was a start. “So you do know where we are?” There was silence for a long moment.

/…..no….I don’t./

0

The spirit paced in his soul room, embracing the chill in the air. He was tired from their little….whatever it was that happened. Teleportation? He hadn’t been aware witches and wizards were capable of such magic. But clearly something must have gone awry. They had been joined with that woman when she started her teleporting, but somehow in the middle they were separated. But how? He couldn’t even feel his own body let alone figure out a way to disentangle himself from her in the split second that was their journey. 

The shadows were clinging to him desperately now as if afraid he’d dare try to leave them. He growled and sat, sliding down the wall and wiping the cold sweat from his brow. Where in the hell were they? If he had an answer for his Yadonushi, he might have actually given him one. Instead all he could do was let the ring guide them somewhere. He didn’t know where, but he trusted the ring. Above all else, he trusted the ring.

0

Ryou was quickly growing used to silence. All attempts to talk with the ancient spirit that sometimes took over his body had ended in failure. If it wasn’t for the occasional rise and fall of one of the dangling spikes on the millennium ring, he’d have thought the spirit was gone completely. But then, that would never happen, would it? For a while Ryou just talked to himself but even that started to die away as more time passed.

How long had he been walking, following the ring blindly into the unknown? Was it hours or days? He would have used the sun as a guide, but the ring took him out of that expanse of field and into a dark forest. He couldn’t tell if it was night time or if the trees were just that dense that no light could filter through. 

Ryou pressed the gold against his chest, taking a little bit of comfort from the warmth. To him, it always felt like the metal ornament had been left out in the sun for a few hours. It was a pleasant feeling. Far more pleasant than the growing ache in his stomach from thirst and hunger. He sighed, taking a seat on a fallen tree so overgrown with moss that it looked more like a little hill than a tree. The millennium ring lifted a tine and pointed, but Ryou only sighed again, wiping dirt from his face and succeeding in only making his face dirtier.

“I know…but I’m tired. How much farther is it, Koe? Can you at least tell me that?” he asked. His voice sounded too loud after so much silence. 

And still there was no response to his questions.

Ryou Bakura slept among the trees, woke, tried to find something to eat, walked, walked, and walked some more. Then he was sleeping and waking and the cycle continued. The trees seemed to go on forever, and sometimes the nights held noises that made him scamper up a tree until the noises went away. 

The longer he wandered, the more accustomed he was growing to the subtle changes in light from day to night. But he had lost track of how many days and nights he’d seen before he was even able to tell them apart from each other. All he knew was that each day was getting harder and harder to get through. His body felt weaker and weaker, but still he followed the ring. Now that he was so deep in this forest, following the ring was his only hope of ever getting out from the shadow of the trees.

Eventually those trees did become fewer. Ryou was tired, panting, cold, and covered in dirt and scratches, but when he found a patch of sunlight breaking through the treetops, he just sat in it and smiled. He let the warmth touch his face. Light had never felt so good. True, the woods were no shadow realm. That was a level of cold and darkness that nothing could ever match…but he had missed the sun none the less.

“How much farther is it? Still a while, huh?” he asked the trees, since he knew the voice he carried around his neck wasn’t going to give an answer.

“I’ve got to be closer now though. The trees are smaller. The sun is brighter,” he sighed. Finally he got up and kept trudging along, ring in hand.

0

Today’s news was getting better and better. First the dream, then the magazine.

Harry was sitting with Ron and Hermione in the boy’s dormitory of Gryffindor Tower. The common room would have been a more comfortable place to chat, but with the overwhelming success of Harry’s interview in the quibbler, which had spread like wildfire after Umbridge banned it last week, there were far too many curious and eager ears to hear what Harry had to say. He was happy for it to be sure, to finally have people believe him, but he still wanted to keep the fact that he was connected to Voldemort on a need to know basis.

Despite the protests of his friends, Harry was using his link with Voldemort as best as he could considering he was stumbling around blind in the ways of whatever magic had linked them. What he did know though was that somehow, by some miracle, Ryou had managed to elude the deatheaters and their dark master since his capture in Hogsmeade. That had been the reason behind Voldemort’s rage that night. His deatheaters had failed him. Ryou had gotten away. 

“But how could he have escaped? We all saw that vile woman grab him and disapparate. I’d have thought she’d have taken him straight to….V-voldemort,” Hermione seemed confounded by the news. So much so that she only berated Harry a little bit for not focusing more on occlumency to stop these dreams.

“I don’t know how, but Bellatrix was there. On the ground, begging for mercy. She said he just….slipped away from her somehow….and now they have no idea where he is. They can’t find him and they’ve been searching for days,” Harry was all smiles.

“Too bad they don’t have his ring that only points to him,” Ron snickered. “That’d make finding him real easy. Speakin’ of Ryou and all that. Did Firenze ever see anything in the sky or whatever it is that his kind look at?”

Harry shook his head. He had been stopped by the centaur as he was leaving his last divination class. Firenze had waited until all the other students had left before giving him his news, as well as passing on a warning Harry needed to give to Hagrid about something or some such. That whatever he was trying to do was failing. It would be some time before Harry understood what Firenze met. Some time before he met Hagrid’s half-brother, Grawp.

“He told me that he didn’t see anything. He said it’s easy to misread the stars, but in regards to Ryou, there were no stars to read. He said either Ryou’s future or current situation are either too miniscule to move the heavens…or that there was darkness around him that was blinding the seen. He said ‘only the unseen can see the unseen’,” Harry replied, going over the ever cryptic reply the centaur had given him.

“Hang on… Perhaps he means the untraceables? It makes sense. The reason nobody can find shadow mages, the reason shadow magic is believed to be a myth, is because it leaves no trace, no sign of its existence. It’s impossible to find, impossible to track, and maybe it can hide people. Maybe it IS hiding people, right this very moment. That’s why Ryou himself is untraceable. That’s why Dumbledore and … Voldemort…and his followers can’t track down a boy with no magical protection. That’s how he’s staying lost with an army out to find him. It’s the shadow magic making him ‘unseen’.”

“But his ring can find him,” Ron pointed out. Hermione was still smiling at the revelation.

“That’s because the ring is shadow magic too! Oh don’t you see? The unseen finds the unseen. That’s why it’s so valuable. Ryou said it could point to anything. Even other items or people with shadow magic, I bet. It might be just the ring that’s got magic. Ryou might be a muggle and the ring is hiding him along with itself for self preservation….or maybe shadow magic is inherited by blood like regular magic, or maybe it’s random, but since it’s so hidden, the trace never picks up on it and the children never know.”

“I’d think they’d get suspicious if magic started to just happen around them though. An untrained wizard, creepy dark magic or not, they’re bound to do accidental magic eventually and then the department of accidental magic would know,” Ron said, but this time Harry shook his head.

“Not if the magic is untraceable, Ron. There’d be no proof whatever happened was because of magic. Besides, what if shadow magic is different? If it’s really such a secretive thing, maybe…I don’t know, maybe it goes out of its way to not accidentally happen? I’ve never seen Ryou do any magic, except when that ring of his points to stuff.” And that one time when Peeves was attacked by some unseen force, but….had that been Ryou’s doing? It had, after all, happened at Hogwarts and this school had plenty of mystery all on its own.

“He might not have used it, but he’s admitted it’s been used against him. The ring might be the equivalent of a wand, too. Maybe it helps him channel his magic so he CAN use it,” Hermione only wished there were more books about the subject.

“Or maybe it’s just an evil ring with shadow magic infused in it and Ryou just happened to stumble on it,” Ron offered, and Hermione shrugged.

“That’s also completely possible.”

“So which is it? Is Ryou some kind of special wizard or just a muggle with utterly crummy luck?”

To that, there was no answer.

0

His stomach rumbled as he sat at the bar of a small family diner, sipping water. The bartender had taken one look at him and known he wasn’t going to get a dime from this filthy little boy whose shirt was ripped in more places than one. But at least he still gave him water. He kept the tip jar far away though, but that was all fine and good with Ryou Bakura. 

The millennium ring had led him through the thick forest, so dense with trees that roots overlapped each other. When he finally reached the edge of that forest he had to shield his eyes from the brightness, though only because the forest had been so dark. This town was hardly sunshine incarnate and now that he was used to grey instead of black, it was downright dismal. That was ok though, so long as it was civilization. In the forest, he hadn’t dared to drink from streams or rivers in fear of contaminated water, not that there had been many streams or rivers anyway. Mostly just dirty puddles collected amongst the roots. Had the spirit of the ring been talking to him at all during their little journey apart from that one sentence upon their arrival to nowhere, he was sure the voice would have scoffed and mocked his weakness. Egyptian thieves probably drank and ate whatever they found without a thought of parasites or bad water.

No voice contested nor affirmed his thoughts. He sighed, placing a hand on the fabric of his shirt where he had hidden the ring once they were in town. Still as warm as ever. Ryou took a long gulp of water, emptying his third glass, and slid off of his seat. The smell of food was all around him and he had to swallow to stop from drooling…but he had not a penny in his pocket to buy a thing. The longer he stayed here, the dirtier the looks he got from the bartender, so it was probably time to go.

The boy wandered along the streets for some time. The diner had been a nice and needed respite, the water amazing to taste despite it being warm and from the tap. But oh how he yearned for a nice bed and warm covers right now…and a nice hot meal. Maybe he should find someone who would let him use their phone so he could call his father to get him. Then again, he had no idea where he was. Perhaps a police station then. But did he want to be found? After all, there were people, very bad people, who were looking for him, right? Maybe it was better to stay lost. He shivered as he walked. The worst of winter was behind him, but there was still enough of a bite in the air to want a coat. Too bad he didn’t have one.

Ryou paused outside of a cute little place, a bakery by the looks of its window. There were cupcakes and tier cakes sitting on display, decorated with fancy ribbons and frosted to perfection. As a gust blew through the town, Ryou huddled near the window and held himself to conserve body heat until the air stilled. He sighed, his breath coming out in a puff. The buildings seemed to funnel the wind. Every gust tore through Ryou’s ripped up shirt and made him shiver to the core. He had hydrated at least, so now he should focus on getting warm….then he could figure out food. With that in mind, he slipped inside the little shop.

The inside of the bakery smelled just as sweet as the outside looked. He stared at the display, already warming up from the cold bite of the wind from outside. The display held all sorts of sweet cakes and pies…and delicious looking cream puffs dribbled with chocolate.

/You need to eat, Yadonushi./

“Koe!” Ryou was so surprised by the sudden voice that his own voice was a bit louder than he intended. He blushed and scurried out the door to avoid the curious stares from the closest customers. Suddenly getting out of the cold wasn’t as important.

“I haven’t heard from you in days, Koe. I thought…” he hadn’t thought the spirit was gone of course. But he had had a tight feeling in his stomach that only grew worse each day the ring was silent. Like something was wrong.

/I’m not so easy to get rid of. Don’t delude yourself into thinking so/

“Yeah…I know. Anyway, I don’t have any money. I can’t buy food without money, and I’m not going to steal it either.”

/If you want to live that’s your only option. The body can’t survive off of just water, Yadonushi. Steal and eat, or be noble and die./

Ryou fidgeted. Then he was walking down the street. Suddenly he wondered if he should miss the silence. The boy’s hand felt the ring beneath his shirt. One of the tines was still pointing. To what, neither Ryou nor the spirit knew. The thief king knew it was to a strong magical power at the very least. That was more than Ryou knew.

With another sigh, Ryou followed the spike and kept on going. He walked until the ring stopped pointing and went limp against his chest…and where did it lead him? To a dead end. To nothing. To a cul-de-sac of run down looking houses. Ryou nearly teared up. 

“But…where now? Koe, I don’t understand,” Ryou said as he leaned against a wall, looking around for something, anything, that the ring could have been pointing too. The spirit of the ring was quiet again, though this time Ryou could feel the presence in the back of his mind, watching through his eyes, thinking hard about something. Something he wasn’t sharing with Ryou at the moment.

Ryou coughed and slid down the wall, huddling in an alleyway between two of the crummy buildings where it was more protected from the wind. He closed his eyes for a second he thought. Just for a second. But then his brow was cinched in confusion as warm air hit his face in short bursts. Warm, kind of smelly air. 

He opened his eyes again and gasped, heart jumping into his throat as a black demon lingered, panting in his face. But that was just the exhausting talking. As his head cleared, he smiled, offering out his hand. 

“Hello there, puppy,” he said, though this was no puppy. The large shaggy dog sniffed the hand and then started to sniff the boy all over before settling down beside him. Ryou smiled and chuckled, stroking the dog’s fur. He didn’t look well groomed and had no collar.

“Do you have nowhere to go?” he asked the dog, which merely turned to look at him. With both of them sitting, the dog was actually taller than Ryou.

“I don’t have anywhere to go either. We can be nowhere together for a while. How does that sound?” he asked with a shiver, though he knew a dog had no idea what he was saying. The big black dog just blinked at him and laid down, resting his head on Ryou’s lap, paws against the boy’s legs. Ryou smiled even more sweetly. The dog looked scary at first, but it was a good dog. A warm dog. If there was one thing Ryou was grateful for, it was the warmth.

Ryou fell asleep that night, curled up with a dog in an alleyway somewhere on a street called Grimmauld.


	28. My Horcrux is Better than Yours

As the days went by, Ryou grew hungrier and hungrier as well as weaker and weaker both physically and mentally. At first he stuck to his morals, but soon the days were spent with him taking the back seat to driving his body as the spirit of the ring got the five finger discount at a new market each morning.

The nights he spent in the alleyways of Grimmauld, always returning to the place the ring pointed to, even if he had no idea why the ring was pointing there. The spirit insisted that the millennium ring was functioning just fine, but whenever Ryou asked what it was pointing to then, the spirit would always responded with ‘use your eyes’. Ryou had, but he couldn’t see what the spirit meant at all. At least he had the benefit of a space heater when he went to sleep in the alleys of the grimy little cul-de-sac. The large black dog came to him every night he was on Grimmauld Street. It was nice. Even if the stray smelled bad, Ryou was pretty sure he didn’t smell any better.

“Hey there, Orthos. Good puppy,” Ryou greeted the shaggy black monster of a dog, patting his dirty muzzle. Orthos was smart; Ryou had realized that within a couple days of meeting the canine. He had picked up on the name Ryou had given him after only calling him by it one time. Orthos came when Ryou called him, and could always find him even when Ryou moved around the back alleys to find a place to sleep. Orthos even brought him little individually wrapped snack foods. Ryou didn’t know where they came from, but since they were wrapped he didn’t see the harm in eating them. 

Sometimes Ryou swore the dog seemed to appear out of nowhere, but decided that was just a trick of the light and the black coated dog merely blended too well into the shadows. The dog also always stayed out of sight when strangers came wandering around, and once or twice he stopped Ryou from walking out into the open streets when particularly shady looking cloaked adults were turning the corners. 

Ryou sighed, eating a small hand sized cake as he sat against one of the Grimmauld houses, looking at the various gloomy buildings around them. He rarely ever saw so much as a person peeking from a window on this street. 

“What I wouldn’t do for a nice warm bath right about now…” he murmured, only to get a warm lick across the cheek. That made the young boy chuckle and rub Orthos’ furry head. “That’s not what I meant and you know it!” he smiled. It was probably his loneliness speaking, but he swore the dog laughed.

Ryou pulled out his millennium ring and watched as it pointed at nothing once more. Orthos sniffed at the ring curiously and stared in the direction it was pointing. Then he was setting Ryou with a weird look, but Ryou only sighed and rubbed the dog’s head. “I don’t know what it’s pointing at either, Orthos,” he said for the fifth or sixth time. The dog always looked at him funny when he pulled out the ring. Maybe he didn’t like it. Animals supposedly had a sixth sense. Perhaps he could sense the evil inside of it.

/Or perhaps the dog sees better than you, Yadonushi/

There we go again. Ryou frowned and looked at the houses. The ring was pointing directly between two of them. Ryou still didn’t understand what he was supposed to be seeing. Sometimes he felt like he was on the verge of a realization, but then his mind would get fuzzy, the spirit would get grumpy, and no realization ever came.

Ryou Bakura tucked away the millennium ring safely under his slightly ragged striped shirt, Orthos leaning over to sniff at its hiding space. Ryou watched the dog pace a little bit as he stared at the ring’s position, then his ears perked up and he froze in place. His fur raised and his head went low while his tail went high. A growl rumbled in the massive dog’s throat. Orthos looked at Ryou and grabbed him by the arm to yank away, but the dog’s teeth hurt and Ryou let out a bark of pain. He shoved at Orthos’ muzzle, but it wasn’t the bite that had done damage. It was Ryou’s yell. Twin shadows loomed at the entrance to Ryou’s current hideaway alleyway, that single yelp of agony a siren’s call. A chill crept up his spine and gripped at his heart. 

“There you are. You’ve been the cause of a lot of pain, you little brat. Now we can do this the easy way or the hard way,” growled one of the shadows. Ryou finally turned around and stared into the faces of two men cloaked in black robes. Their hoods were drawn and hiding their faces in darkness. It wasn’t hard to guess who they were though. Ryou turned away in an instant to run down the alleyway. 

“Hard way it is.”

The deatheaters ran after their little shadow mage, not really having much of a problem catching up to the shorter legged boy. Ryou mentally scolded himself for not taking P.E. more seriously in school as he grabbed the lid of a trashcan and turned to face his attackers with his make shift shield. Orthos was trying to urge him on to keep running, but Ryou knew there was no point. 

“Get out of here, Orthos. Go find help!” he urged the dog. Orthos growled at the deatheaters one last time. Then he was racing off. The dog disappeared between lots eleven and thirteen. The same two lots he always seemed to disappear between. Something finally clicked then, and with the realization, the fog that seemed to have clouded his mind these past few days lifted.

“Twelve!” he said, wide eyed. Then he felt his body go weightless and his shield be thrown from his hands. The spell that had bounced off the trashcan lid made his hands shake from the force of the blow, but he himself was ok. For now.

Ryou gave his full attention back to the deatheaters, who had also gained the undivided attention of the spirit of the ring. 

0

Sirius Black had seen his fair share of weird things. In fact, when he was a boy, he caused his fair share of weird things. But when he looked out his window one evening and saw a boy huddled in an alleyway on Grimmauld, he just couldn’t stop staring. For one thing, the child was bizarre in appearance – long white hair shading a pale, nearly feminine face, clutching at his chest. Secondly, of all places, why would the boy stop in Grimmauld? There was more than a little magic in the area to keep muggles away. The place was designed to make a person want to leave the moment they got there. This magic was so powerful it even applied to wizarding kind. It was how he stayed hidden so well for so long. And yet a little boy was defying the magic and sitting out there like this was any other street. Thirdly and most peculiar of all, the boy was staring at the spot where the house would be in confusion….almost as if he knew number 12 was there.

It was a stretch to call this a situation that needed investigation, but Sirius Black had been cooped up for far too long, so investigate the child he would.

Then things just got weirder. At first Sirius stayed close to the boy because it became quite apparent he needed help. He was shivering and mumbling to himself, and he smelled like he hadn’t showered in a while. He was probably a runaway. But he was a gentle soul, that much Sirius could tell by the look in the boy’s eyes and the way he accepted his mangy stray dog appearance without hesitation. He even gave him a name. Orthos. But those weren’t weird things, no. What was weird was that the boy was carrying with him an artifact you’d never expect on a street rat runaway. A golden necklace, and a large one at that….a golden necklace that defied gravity and kept pointing to his home. His magically hidden home. How? The only way to find his secret house was to be brought there and told about it, and yet apparently this golden necklace had led this boy straight to it. When the boy stared in the direction the ring pointed, Sirius could start to see him trying to figure out what was off about the street and nearly get there before the magic would finally take hold and bring back that confused look in his eyes. Clearly the object was magical, but Sirius knew no magic that could do that. Especially without the caster understanding, for this boy was clearly confused as to what his ring of gold was pointing to. He wasn’t confused by the pointing though, so at the very least, the golden thing had done this before. 

Sirius could only assume the boy took out that charm in front of him because he was disguised as a dog. All other times he saw the boy, he had kept the gold well hidden under his dirty clothing. It would be impossible to just grab it without being obvious. Even in his sleep, he kept a hand over his chest as if to keep it close. Whatever this item was, the runaway valued it greatly and didn’t want anyone to know about it. It smelled strongly of the boy too, so Sirius guessed he must have had it in his possession for a long while. How long had he been running with that ring?

Sirius continued to visit the boy outside his home frequently, bringing him snacks from inside. The boy would sometimes head off into the city, but he’d always return by nightfall. Sirius could only assume he was getting food of his own in the only way he could, and considering he still had gold around his neck and not in his pocket, he doubted it was a legal acquisition. Not that Sirius would judge him for something like that. Tending to the boy gave him something to do in these bleak, boring days of solitude and isolation. He probably should have informed the Order about the child when he first showed up, but why bother? He was just a runaway with a weird magical trinket of unknown origin. Or so Sirius had thought. That mindset changed when he found deatheaters searching the city. Searching for the boy?

Yes. They were. They attacked and he urged the boy to run, but there was no chance. The child was too fatigued, too hungry, to outrun these wizards. By the sounds and looks of it, the boy had been running from them for a while. The appearance of the enemy wizards didn’t surprise the child, and he ordered Sirius to find help. The only help this old dog could possibly howl for was the Order, but if this boy was being hunted down by Voldemort’s soldiers, then it was probably worth it to make the call. So he ran straight for Number 12 Grimmauld Place, not even caring if he was seen disappearing into the void. The second he was on the front step, he shed his fur for skin and hurried indoors. It only took a few precious minutes to get in contact with Dumbledore, using the aid of a certain family portrait and a fireplace, and soon Padfoot was explaining the situation to the Hogwarts Headmaster.

0

Blood was splattered on his dirty clothes and droplets freckled his white hair and pale face. In the alleyway, one deatheater lay crumpled, groaning in agony in a puddle of his own blood. The thief king had delivered a deadly blow to his side, one that would kill a man in a few hours if they had no way to magically fix horrible lacerations. Nobody seemed to be paying the groaning man any attention though. Oh no. The attention was on the boy. 

“Knives again? When we put a collar on you and take you home, we’ll have to keep those sharp toys of yours away~” purred that female deatheater that Bakura would absolutely love to slit the throat of. She had appeared not long ago with two more damnable wizard nuisances. Two he could take with the element of surprise, but now that there were four remaining….Bakura wasn’t liking his chances. He was too tired for this nonsense.

“Accio knife,” the witch called, tired of this glaring contest. Bakura had to struggle to keep his grip on his weapon – his last cooking knife he had pilfered from the kitchens of Hogwarts. 

“Fine, you want it? Have it!” he barked, spinning and using the momentum to chuck the blade at the woman. It would leave him defenseless, but her death would make it worth it. 

If it had struck.

The she devil had quickly raised her wand and the blade stopped just an inch from her neck. It had been incredibly close and her eyes were wide, wild, and surprised. For a second there, she very well could have died. But the near death experience soon washed over her in bubbling fits of laughter as she snatched the blade and hid it on her person. 

“Ooooh I just adore you~” she cooed as her wand whipped through the air yet again. It was a game to her. Bakura could only dodge as he attempted to get closer to do some damage. If he could just muster enough energy to get the shadows to do more than deflect spells. 

There was another loud crash as spell collided with trashcan, denting metal and sending garbage raining from the sky. The thief king had dove to the side to dodge it and was rolling when that damned wooden stick was pointing his way once more. So he jumped to the side again.

“Not enough room for that in an alley my pet~” sang the death eater as her spell fired at the wall. But it only hit wall rather than boy. “WHAT?!” she growled, eyes wide as her target vanished from her sight. He had been there mere seconds ago, but then he jumped towards the brickwork and seemed to melt into the wall as if passing through the boundary between platform 9 and ¾. 

But she relocated him soon enough. Or rather, he made himself known to her. Her quarry reappeared from the shadows through the wall directly beside her and his fist met her face.

Bakura panted as he found his footing on solid ground, a smirk on his face. But he didn’t have time to gloat as two other wizards shot their spells. His body ached from malnourishment and the strain of using the shadows outside of a shadow game for so long. He had to do this though, to protect his host. His body. The thief charged the two mortal men, diving low with the intent to deliver an uppercut to one of their stunned faces. Ignorant fools were too reliant on their bloody parlor tricks. Upon encountering something that struck back with fangs and claws, what were they but children wagging twigs?

Just as he was about to connect, his legs were yanked out from under him and he hit the ground hard. Golden ropes like those that had bound him before bit into his ankles. He was just turning to try to get them removed when one of the men he had been about to assault promptly kicked him in the face. The thief tasted salt and iron in his mouth and spit a glob of blood at the one who kicked him, watching the man’s disgust as it splattered on his shoe.

“You should be grateful!” barked an angry voice from behind Bakura. Ah, the female hadn’t been knocked out. Bakura scowled, cursing his assumptions. He should have known better than to turn his back on her when he hadn’t delivered a death blow. He turned his own bloodied face towards hers and a smirk played on his lips at the sight. At least he had left a mark. The witch’s eye was already darkening a horrid shade of red and purple and her face was flecked with blood that had burst from her split lip. Best of all was the absolute rage in her eyes. Delicious darkness and hatred. She wasn’t playing games anymore.

With a yank, he was dragged an inch backwards. The other two deatheaters hoisted him up and bound his arms while a third finally went to take care of their fallen comrade, disapparating away. But even with their prey locked secure in their hands, the other three dared not try that trick too, in fear that they’d lose their little mage again. No, they would need to escort their catch to their master the old fashioned way. The she devil of the lot stroked her arm with her wand, inhaling sharply as if she had just gotten a fix, before she walked over to the white haired mage.

“Listen to me, boy,” the witch growled, wildness in her eyes as she gripped Bakura’s wrist tightly, digging her nails into tender skin and giving a twist, “The dark lord has taken a keen interest in you, so you WILL obey. Do as you are told, or we’ll decide you aren’t worth the trouble.” She pushed him forward, out of the alley and into the open street. There were eyes here, but they were full of fear at the sight before them. Not that they would remember what they were seeing right now. Too many spells were woven here for muggle memories of the magical to outlive the memories of the mundane.

Bakura had the nerve to let out a bark of laughter at the death eater’s words. “As if I was so easy to kill,” he purred, grinning a bloodied smile. The witch narrowed her eyes. Her wand flicked up and a flash of green tore through the air, ripping jaggedly through the sky like a dull blade through flesh before it colliding with one of the onlookers. The muggle hit the ground without a word, eyes open but blank, staring forward without seeing.

“Everyone is easy to kill. Everyone but the Dark Lord.”

Bakura’s eyes widened, but not in fear. First in surprise, then in curiosity…and then in twisted delight. Maybe those twigs these idiots held weren’t as useless in a fight as he first thought. What if he could figure out how to cast such magics with the ring? His grin widened at the very idea.

“What’s this? No looks of horror, or cries of outrage over the lives of the innocent? Are you really Little Potter’s friend?” purred the lady death eater, her original anger towards Bakura apparently gone at this latest development. Bakura scoffed, rolling his eyes. Who did she think he was, the pharaoh’s whimpering baby of a light?

“Why would I care for a mere mortal?” was his reply and to his chagrin, it absolutely delighted the crazy witch. She laughed and draped her arms around his shoulders, wand pressing to his throat the only sign that she wasn’t a clingy girlfriend or lover.

“Well said, pet, well said~ Sweet boy, if you behave and ask nicely, perhaps the Dark Lord will let you learn this spell too. Would you like that? Such lovely power could be yours,” she offered with a smile. Bakura didn’t like her face being so close to his. He wanted so badly to give her another black eye. 

“I can deliver a far worse fate than mere death,” Bakura frowned in reply. If only he could apply that skill to that damnable Pharaoh, he’d be all set.

“Oh is that a fact? How delicious,” she purred, yanking his hair so he was looking up at her.

“Bellatrix.”

Immediately she let go of him and backed off. Fear entered her. Of all their encounters, Bakura had never smelled fear on her no matter how much he had wanted to instill it, yet now just a voice had her nearly quivering. 

“My Lord,” she replied, immediately on her knees, bowing. Bakura looked over, frowning at what he saw. It wasn’t a man, but a mere shadow of one. A wraith of billowing gray darkness under a ragged cloak with bloody eyes set deep into a sunken, shadowed face. There was a corporal form at the core, but only barely, and the hand that reached out to touch Bakura seemed to be edged in smoke rather than skin. If he blew on it, would it fade away?

“You have been….difficult…to track down, precious child. But when I learned you were finally found, I simply had to see you for myself. A living mage of the shadows. You wield a forgotten art. Forgive me for not coming to see you in person, but I promise that will come in due time,” his voice came out sounding raspy and had a faded echo effect to it. This false image reached out and stroked Bakura’s cheek and the spirit of the ring mentally cursed himself for shivering and showing such despicable weakness. He jerked his face away from the fingers and scowled, but that only seemed to make this freak show smirk in the darkness.

“Tell me. What is it like to be born with such….unique abilities. Such abilities that others have strived to replicate for centuries. Or do you not know the power you possess?” asked this death lord. Bakura wasn’t going to answer him though. What could a smoke monster do? Nothing. 

The dark lord chuckled once more, the timing so perfect it was almost like he heard Bakura’s thoughts.

“You have been misguided by the fools of the Order. They sank their talons into you first. Corrupted your mind before I could explain. You don’t know what I can do, nor what I can offer you. Together, we could take this world. Take it and make it ours.”

“I don’t need your help to do that,” Bakura finally spat. He was perfectly capable of world domination on his own, if not for his own mortal enemy blocking his every move. Not like he wanted the world anyway. Revenge was far more appealing than ruling a bunch of pathetic mortals.

“Is that so? You must have amazing powers then, and yet here you are, trapped under my followers’ care. Why is it then, I wonder, that you have not used these powers you claim to control to destroy those who dare hurt you now? Let me groom you, boy, and you can have whatever your heart desires most. Power. Money… Even Blood.”

That put Bakura on alert. He blinked, staring at the red orbs of this essence, his own brown eyes hardening and his body tensing. The figure reached out once more, both hands moving to lift the thief’s face up to better stare him in the eyes. 

“Come then, share your secrets with me, and I will share all my power with you…” he whispered. There, Bakura felt it this time. A tickle in his mind. A rat trying to squeeze through a crack in a door. He scowled and slammed the door shut, barring his mind with walls he’d learned to build years ago. He was glad he always had some level of protection over his thoughts, lest his yadonushi ever decided to creep around his forbidden memories.

Voldemort blinked in surprise, backing off, his gray smoke hands recoiling their icy touch under his frayed cloak like a wolf retreating from a fire. He smiled again and gave a dark chuckle. “Ahhh, I see. Quite the powerful occlumens, aren’t you? We’ll see how long your stubbornness lasts when we speak face to face. Bellatrix, bring hi—”

The apparition didn’t get to finish. The specter was blasted by a golden beam that burned the smoke until it was nothing but sparkling fragments of light. Bellatrix jumped to her feet in rage and alarm, storming past Ryou Bakura and shoving him to the ground as she scanned the streets. Her posture screamed one thing: Who dared strike her master’s image?

“Hey! Didn’t you know kidnapping is against the law?” barked a young woman across the way, her wand at the ready with gold still sparking from its tip. She had electric blue hair up in spikes and a smirk on her face. With a swish of her wand she was sending a spell flying towards the deatheaters. 

Bakura wasn’t sure how to feel about this turn of events of another crazy witch showing up until he noticed Ryou’s beast was beside her. The large dog his host had called Orthos was growling, flanked by not just the bright haired witch, but by what Bakura assumed was another wizard. A lanky wizard with messy, greying brown hair and worn out clothes. So the mutt actually found help after all. The important thing though was that they were enemies of the witch, and that meant he was going to let them have a go at each other while he got the hell out of there. If they killed each other, it wasn’t his problem. Right now, he was focused on coiling the shadows around his magical bindings to cut through them. He hated to admit it, but despite him considering the shadows a superior magical form, this light and dark magic the witches and wizards used was fast casting and had its undeniable moments of usefulness. Shadow magic had limitations and high costs, especially outside of the shadow realm or outside the rules of a shadow game, but it seemed like there was a spell for every single thing with this other magic and it required minimal energy. 

But now was not the time to muse about magics. There was a battle going off right overhead in a flash of color and sound.

At last the bindings on his arms were undone and he sat up to work on the ones on his ankles. This would go faster if his shadows were stronger, and his shadows would be stronger if his damned host would accept the darkness already. There was a snap as black tainted and severed gold, eating through the rope spell and turning the bindings into dust. There we go, just a little more…but then a hiss made the thief look up, just in time to see a stray red beam flying his way. 

“Oh for the love of-” he started, but he didn’t finish as he fell backwards, bindings gone but body stupefied. 

0

“Oh. Whoops. At least it was just a stunning spell,” chirped the neon haired witch after a growl from Orthos alerted her that her spell had been deflected and hit the very boy they were trying to protect. But as she said, it was luckily just a stunning spell. No lasting damage.

The large dog ran through the tangle of spells to reach the white haired child. His mouth tasted like wet iron and he wished this form could spit, but the bite had down its job of incapacitating one of the death eater’s wand arms and made the coward flee the battle. That left a two on two duel. He trusted the other members of the Order to handle this while he dragged the boy to safety.

At his side, the dog started sniffing the child, making sure he was ok. The true surprise was the groan he heard, and even more baffling was the boy moving his arm. But how? Tonks was no weakling mage. Her spell should have had him down for a few hours!

“AWAY FROM HIM, BEAST!” yelled the crazed female deatheater, and the large hound had to jump to avoid a blast. He stood over the boy protectively, ears flicking back and baring his teeth in a nasty snarl that rippled through his throat and chest. 

Beneath him, Ryou stirred and blinked, looking up at what was casting a shadow over his form. Orthos…right, he brought help. But what had happened to the spirit? He had been in control, had been fighting to get them to safety. Then all of a sudden, he felt the spirit’s mind retreat. Well…less of a retreat and more like a force that was blown backwards. 

“Koe…Koe are you ok?” he asked in a voice as soft as a mouse, pushing himself up on his hands. There was no reply. Ryou suddenly felt the weight of his canine friend pushing him back down to the ground before dashing away.

Orthos had to dodge away from Ryou to avoid another spell and this time did not return to the boy’s side. He feared a stray attack may hit the child instead. He could not get close enough to Bellatrix to bite her, but he could not play the dodging game forever either. Especially not when the enemy didn’t play fair.

Orthos let out a horrible whimpering when the second death eater shot a spell that sliced the dog’s hind leg deep across the hip. He fell to the ground, blood dripping from his wound. Ryou jumped to his feet. The two good magic users were combining their efforts to take down the one crazy witch, and for some reason the second dark wizard wasn’t inclined to help his partner. He had murder in his eyes as he looked at the poor defenseless dog. Ryou’s heart clenched as the man raised his wand. The boy pushed to his feet and ran as spell was released. Acid green light shot through the air as Ryou Bakura stepped in front of Orthos and threw his arms up to the side to block the spell. 

Time seemed to slow down as the various members of the fight realized what was happening. There was a distant shout of ‘No!’ but Ryou had closed his eyes, bracing for impact, and didn’t see who yelled. The green light collided with him, exploding against his chest violently like raging water against a wall, green sparks cascading to the ground while viridian arcs crackled around Ryou’s form.

Then he fell to the ground. He fell and did not move again.


	29. 100 Reasons Why

It hurt. 

It radiated from his chest throughout his body, stabbing at his skin from within and wrapping around his head until his brain was throbbing. He gasped as his body convulsed, but then there was a kiss of cold air to bring relief to his sweating form. Whatever had passed through him was done, its horrible bite but temporary. 

Brown eyes opened to the faded white walls of a room. The door was open, hanging ajar on splintered hinges and there was a slight burning smell lingering in the air. Ryou stood up, his legs feeling like jelly and causing him to stumble before he made it to the door, but make it he did. The boy peered out, his eyes falling on the black hallway that linked his soul room with the spirit residing in the Millennium Ring. Ryou looked forward, white light calling to him. He knew if he headed towards it, he’d leave the confines of his mind and be in the real world, either in control of his body or taking the back seat, but awake and aware. 

But then something made him turn his head to look backward, towards the darkness. Never had he gone down the hallway, where the spirit’s room resided. Never had he ever in his life contemplated going there. He had looked down the hall maybe one time in the past just to catch a glimpse of the other door after Yugi explained about the corridor of souls linking them to their other selves, but the shadows that leaked from beneath the door frame he saw made him look forward and never turn around again. Until now.

Next he did something he never thought he’d do and started down towards the darkness instead of towards the light.

The ring around his neck clinked gently as he made his way towards the cracked stone door. There weren’t shadows leaking out of it this time, but that didn’t make it any less intimidating. It was an ancient barrier of rough sandstone, engravings unpolished and so worn out it was near impossible to tell what they once showed, though the eye of Horas was still prominent in the middle of the top half of the stone block. Ryou saw neither handle nor knob to open his way to the room. Perhaps it was a sign that this was too dangerous and he should turn back now, but he couldn’t. He had a fear inside him from that pain, trying to remember what caused it for it had not been Koe, and that fear drove him to want to see the spirit of the ring for reasons his mind could not comprehend. Fear for the spirit’s wellbeing, oh how the pharaoh would scold him. He could picture the great spirit of the puzzle smiling at him, saying he was too kindhearted for his own good and that the thief did not deserve his worry, but that felt wrong. Yugi would agree with Ryou’s point too, he was almost sure, unable to leave the thief to suffer even if Ryou hadn’t been tied to him. 

What was he thinking? Ryou didn’t even know if the thief WAS suffering. But that was why he had to check, and so he leaned against the door with intent to try to listen through it. To his surprise, the door gave away and slowly edged open, silent but for the softest scrape of stone against stone as Ryou guided it across the floor. The room was poorly lit and it took his eyes a moment to adjust, but what he saw made him stare in awe. He should not have been surprised to see a thief’s room would contain mounds of treasure. Precious gemstones, gold coins, elegant statues and statuettes, finely molded dishes and cups, beautifully dyed silks and rich velvets, and a carpet of blood red. The carpet was the only thing off, the fabric not looking as luxurious. It was well worn and sand blasted and…not a carpet at all. Ryou gasped, realizing it was the spirit, a great red cloak covering the face down form. He hesitated at the door, taking a half step closer, retreating, then finally heading in and kneeling down beside the fallen thief. 

“…Koe,” he whispered, reaching out and giving the spirit a careful tap. No response. “Koe?” he asked with more strength in his voice. Carefully he rolled the body over. Relief spread through him when a tiny groan echoed through the silent room. He was alive. No, alive wasn’t the right word, since the thief had died some three thousand years ago, but Ryou couldn’t be bothered to try to think of an appropriate word for the situation. 

He was pulled from his thoughts by a coldness curling about him. Before he had welcomed the cold, but this time it made him shiver and trickled within him a sense of dread. His eyes blinked upwards and he gasped yet again, body tensing to the point his muscles ached. How had he not noticed it before? Blinded by the piles of gold and beauty of ancient weaves, he missed a monstrous black door that was set inside one of the walls, the stone around it cracked as if the door had been forced there. Chains barred it closed, heavy and obsidian with no obvious way to undue and remove them. The door was leaking frigid air from its cracks, dark tendrils snaking their way from beneath the black slab and groping the floor like a desperate man trying to claw his way out from a pit. One of the shadows stretched to wrap around the thief’s ankle, which caused Ryou to immediately grab the downed spirit and drag him away from that dark existence until it retreated back beneath the ominous doorway. Whatever it was that was behind that door was evil. Ryou was certain. 

For a moment, Ryou just sat there, eyes flickering down from the door to watch the thief’s shallow breathing as he supported the spirit’s head on his lap. He wasn’t really sure what to do now that he was here. Then the spirit’s eyes started to open. A pained haziness filled them as he stared up at Ryou, but a few blinks later and sharp clarity lit within those brown irises. 

The thief jerked up in a sitting position while simultaneously shoving Ryou away from him, causing his yadonushi to fall into a pile of gold and sending coins cascading around them. The spirit’s breaths were ragged and his chest felt like it was burning where the ring glittered atop it. The millennium item pulsed for a moment before the eye engraved in the center started to cry green tears. Both Ryou and the spirit watched as the substance dripped onto the floor, hissing and simmering like acid. The pain eased once the ring stopped leaking whatever it was that had singed the ground, his headache dissolving and his thoughts clearing. His gaze went to Ryou as his host unburied himself from the stray treasure that had fallen around him. Their eyes met and they stared at each other, trying to figure each other out. What was his host doing here? A question they were both asking themselves. The thief was sure his host would love it if the ring held no spirit at all. The concern he saw in his Yadonushi’s eyes was either an illusion from the poor lighting of his candle lit soul room, or it was an after effect of whatever spell had knocked him out within the millennium ring. 

“This is not your place, Yadonushi,” the spirit found his words at last, standing up. Ryou blinked and stared at the owner of the voice he had heard in his head for so many years. He seemed taller than Ryou, but that was only because he stood straight instead of slouching. Otherwise they looked to be physically identical.

“I know…but I thought I should make sure that after what happened…” What had happened again? Think, Ryou, think. He woke up beneath Orthos, there was a fight going on, Orthos got hurt... “Ah! We were hit by a spell! It hit the ring, the one that kills people. We’re dead!” he cried out, realizing at last why he had felt like something was wrong. Why he had to check on the spirit of the ring. The spell had collided directly with the millennium ring, which meant it had collided with the soul that the item held within.

“Yadonushi, calm yourself. You are not dead,” the spirit growled, though this news of being struck by the death curse was not something he liked. No wonder he was in such pain. Few things could attack a soul while it was hidden away within a magical item, yet that spell had reached him and tried to tear him to shreds. It had failed, but only just so. His eyes flickered to the burn on the ground where the ring had leaked that green acid. The millennium ring didn’t just save his host’s life….it had saved his own soul as well. 

But how?

0

Sirius pushed himself to his paws when the boy fell down before him, forcing himself to limp closer. The boy died for a dog…what type of foolishness….

The animagus stared at the fallen form, shocked by the selflessness displayed. His ears swiveled upwards as the silence was broken by a howl of pure ire, his dearest deadly family member cursing the death eater who had shot the child down. Bellatrix probably only didn’t strike the cowering death eater down where he stood so that their master could do it instead. After all, he’d want answers when they reported this turn of events, and she probably didn’t want to be the one to give them.

With no more reason to stay and fight, the death eaters fled. 

“Oh no…is he?” Tonks was rushing over once the threats were gone, her face pale and her once bright blue hair a muted navy. The dog’s whimper of a reply made her frown, going to her knees beside the child collapsed in the street.

“Such a brave little thing…and we failed him,” sighed an older wizard. Remus Lupin had a gash on his arm but was otherwise unhurt. He was looking sadly down at the form. “Come on. We can’t stay out here,” he said as he bent down to scoop the body up, cradling the small frame in his arms. 

“Wait….” Tonks jerked her hand out to stop Remus mid lift, her eyes staring at the boy’s chest. Sirius leaned close too, ears perked. “Is he….breathing?” She asked, and Remus quickly dropped the child’s legs in order to press his fingers against his neck. Dear god, a pulse. It was weakening even as he held his fingers to it, but it was there. A delayed death? Or a chance to save him?

The three members of the Order hurried the boy into number 12. 

0

Sirius sat by the couch, staring at the pale child laying on the musty old cushions. He looked sickly, clammy, and if not for the faintest rise and fall of his chest, he’d look dead. 

Lupin had carried him in from the streets and rested him on the couch while Tonks had gone to inform Dumbledore what had happened. Sirius tried to rest his hand on the child’s chest, only to pull back instantly with a hiss. Even as the two wizards stared, the boy’s shirt seemed to be eaten away as if burned by an unseen flame right where he had been struck by the curse. The hole that formed was no bigger than a man’s palm but it was enough to showcase a brilliant golden eye that Sirius had come to recognize as the boy’s pendant. But never had it glowed such an eerie green before.

That had been two days ago. Sirius was left alone to care for the unresponsive child since then, though there wasn’t much to do but watch. The glow of the ring had faded from green to gold after the first day, and then stopped glowing altogether an hour afterward. Sirius had been hopeful then, but there had been no change. Twice he had tried to remove the ring while it was glowing, and twice his fingers burned at the attempts, blisters forming where they touched the metal. He didn’t try again afterward. Besides, it seemed obvious to him that the only reason the boy was breathing at all had something to do with that charm he wore. Perhaps removing it would do more harm than good.

He was in his dining room eating lunch when his house elf came skulking in, tasked with informing Sirius of any change. The house elf hadn’t taken well to the order, clear distaste about having to watch a muggle, but he could not refuse a demand from Sirius. And so he appeared, disrupting his master’s meal with a slow slur of words, drawing out the message that the boy was now awake. Just like that, Sirius was up and headed to the couch.

0

Ryou Bakura groaned as he sat up, his chest burning and his mind hazy. There was pressure in the back of his mind as the spirit of the ring awoke as well. He blinked his eyes, the room dark for a moment, too dark to make anything out, but once the spirit was awake and watching through Ryou’s eyes, the room became more clear. Dark woods, musty clothes, a creepy umbrella stand, and the smell of mold and dust. Wherever they were, it was well lived in, but looked abandoned at the same time. But the fact that they were inside a house rather than on the street, dying, was what confused Ryou the most. 

“Where…where are we?” he asked quietly to himself.

/Within the fold of the shadows, Yadonushi/ replied the spirit. His words made no sense to Ryou. This thought resulted in a prickle of annoyance to resonate from the spirit, but the thief did not explain further. Of course not, it was a small miracle he replied to Ryou at all.

“Ryou? Ryou Bakura?”

The sound of his name made him tense and turn, getting dizzy at the sudden movement since his body hadn’t eaten or drank anything in two days.

“Don’t worry, lad. I’m Harry Potter’s Godfather,” the stranger said, holding up his hands to show he meant no harm. This man looked worn out, dirty, mangy and for some reason the word familiar seemed to apply too, but no, the true shock was that name. Ryou just stared. Had he said Harry’s name?

“Were you the one…that saved me?” Ryou asked, though that didn’t feel right. He couldn’t shake the feeling that the reason he was alive right now was because of the ring, not this man, but that didn’t make any sense. Yet the man shook his head and pointed to the boy’s torso. Ryou looked down and his chest tightened. Shiny gold was clear as day through his burned shirt. Immediately he covered himself, feeling exposed for some reason.

“Don’t worry, Ryou. I won’t take your ring. You have no need to hide it from me,” the man assured, but as Ryou didn’t seem to be comforted by his words, he sighed. “You know, James really was right. It seems I’m much better at this as a dog, but I still can’t take the fleas, so you’ll have to excuse me if I stay in this form while I watch over you from now on,” he said, crouching down so he was eye level with Ryou and holding out a familiar looking wrapped cake. Puzzle pieces aligned as Ryou looked at the cake, followed by his gaze snapping up to the man’s face. He stared at his eyes and knew then. Eyes he had grown very familiar with.

“Orthos?”

The man finally smiled. It suited him, making his worn out face look years younger. “I’ll admit, I’ve never been called a puppy before, especially by a stranger that finds me in the street,” he noted, causing Ryou to flush in embarrassment. Had he known the dog wasn’t actually a dog…but still, knowing that this man was Orthos made him far more relaxed.

0

Sirius chuckled at the boy’s reaction. He was personally surprised at how easily he accepted that Sirius could change into a dog. He didn’t even need a demonstration. His godson had been right about this one – he was a smart lad and a good boy.

The two got to talking, with Sirius explaining what happened and where Ryou was now. It was only then that Ryou understood what the spirit had meant earlier. He had said there was a fold in the shadows before, at the Leaky Cauldron. A place that was hidden from plain view. Now he was in the very place the spirit had said he was stupid for not seeing before. He didn’t get why the spirit couldn’t have just spit it out that this house was there since it was clear he knew.

/The magic prevented it, Yadonushi. You had to figure it out on your own/

Neither the spirit nor Ryou had any way of knowing that a secret keeper could have divulged this secret, or that it should have been impossible to get in even if they did figure it out on their own. They knew too little of this magic to understand how the shadows were twisting it, letting them break the rules. 

Time seemed to creep by, Ryou unable to really stray anywhere other than the downstairs bathroom. He wanted to explore the strange house, hearing one too many curious noises echoing down the stairs and creaking through the ceiling. That he was stuck on the couch with just a view of one room was making him stir crazy. He had insisted he was fine, even if his legs felt like jello when he walked on them and despite that there had been a throbbing in his chest. The throbbing lessened with every passing hour, and a meal given to him by a queer little creature Harry’s godfather had called a house elf named, ironically, Kreacher, had helped him get his strength back. Still, he was told to stay put and rest, so stay put he did. The spirit didn’t protest, surprisingly enough. Instead he seemed to just be sleeping in the back of Ryou’s mind, as if he had to recover from the effects of being hit by the death spell too. 

Ryou received a few callers now that he was awake. The first after Sirius was a girl with hot pink hair. She looked familiar, though Ryou couldn’t put his finger on it. It was only after the spirit told him to imagine her with blue hair and a different color to her eyes that Ryou realized it was the witch from the street. Tonks, she named herself. She was full of questions, as was Ryou, but she held no answers for him and her own questions were more of the ‘favorite color, favorite season’ variety. She seemed friendly enough, but the only magical thing Ryou could get her to talk about where her school days at Hogwarts as a Hufflepuff. Then after only an hour, she was off, tripping over her own two feet before disappearing with a crack.

His second caller held far more answers.

When the wizard appeared in the doorway, he stared at the boy. The boy, in turn, blinked owlishly towards him after only a few seconds as if he knew he was being watched. After another drawn out minute, the boy fidgeting awkwardly the entire time after their initial eye contact, Lupin headed over and sat down.

“My colleague tells me you have questions. But I’m afraid the answer is as much a mystery to us as it is to you,” the man began, “Sirius says you call yourself Ryou. You can call me Remus Lupin, and I’d like to know more about that ring you have.” Perhaps he should have been more tactful, for the mention of the golden ring hanging from the boy’s neck made him pull up his thin, ratty blanket to hide it from sight. He looked wary. Nervous. As if Remus would try to take it away.

“Why do you want to know about my ring?” he asked, voice carefully guarded.

“We believe it’s the reason you survived. You won’t know this since you were asleep, but it glowed after it was struck, Ryou. It glowed a green as acidic as the spell that nearly killed you.”

It had glowed green? Like the acid it had leaked in the spirit’s soul room….Was that the spell then? Had the ring somehow collected the magic and….cried it out? 

Ryou furrowed his brow in confusion.

“Please, Ryou. Tell me what you know about your charm. You’re from the muggle world, aren’t you? But the artifact you carry with you was strong enough to repel one of the most dangerous curses this world has ever seen,” Remus said gravely. Sure, it had only barely repelled it judging from the child’s condition when they brought him in, but it had indeed repelled it.

“I don’t honestly know much,” Ryou admitted, turning his honest brown eyes up to Remus, “I just know it’s from Egypt, from 3000 years ago. I don’t know how it was created, and I don’t know why. I don’t know why it saved me, nor how,” he said, his voice soft and gentle, like the petal of a flower. Remus was disappointed, yet at the same time curious as he glanced at where the ring was hidden. Ryou tugged his blanket closer.

“Anou….can you tell me…I saw that man. The one that people don’t talk about. He…died….didn’t he?” Ryou asked. He had heard Harry’s story now, but there was one thing he just didn’t understand. Voldemort had died, but it was Voldemort they were all fighting. He had seen the man…so he couldn’t have been something like the spirit of the ring. Not a vengeful spirit clinging to life by using a host….right? When Remus nodded but said nothing, Ryou had to press for more information.

“Then how is he here now? With…a body and a life?”

More than just Ryou was listening for an answer now, and as the silence dragged on, the boy and the spirit thought they wouldn’t get any form of reply. But then at last, Remus spoke.

“Voldemort used a very dark magic, Ryou. A magic that ripped his soul apart and hid it within various items. He won’t ever truly die until all of the parts of his soul are destroyed as well,” explained the man. Ryou was staring at him blankly and Remus could see he was figuring something out, but he couldn’t fathom what it was. Then the boy pointedly looked away to avoid eye contact, a tight frown appearing on his face.

“What if it was more than just one soul? What if it was, say….100 souls,” asked the boy, his tone even more guarded than before. The idea threw Remus off, the man blinking in surprise at the question. Oh he had expected questions to be sure, but not of this variety.

“100? The amount of dark magic it would take to create a horcrux that horrifying…it shouldn’t even be possible to forge. The item would be destroyed in the process. Mundane items, no, even those of the magical variety, simply weren’t made to hold the energy of a person’s soul. Just one is straining enough. If by chance even just two people formed a horcrux with the same item, surely the dark magic required would overflow and the souls destroy themselves along with the item that contained them.”

“But what if,” the boy pressed. His tone was so serious, his expression needing to know. When his eyes locked onto Remus, he felt compelled to answer, to try to offer a piece of the puzzle that this young man was clearly trying to figure out.

“….if, theoretically, a horcrux had more than just one fragmented soul within, it would need a power equal to that of its creation to destroy it. So a horcrux made up of 100 souls would only be destroyed by something so dark, so evil, that it could kill 100 people at once. Perhaps Fiend Fire,” he thought, but frowned at the idea of such a terribly uncontrollable force…as well as such a terribly unsettling idea as a horcrux with 100 different souls within it. His eyes flickered to the boy’s hand as it lightly pressed against the item hidden against his chest. Then he was suddenly turning away from Lupin, eyes and body facing the couch. 

“I’m tired. It’s been….a long day,” the boy said, to which Remus Lupin frowned. He didn’t much care for such a dismissal, but there was no point in pressing the child further. Besides… he had to go talk to a certain mutt of a man about the child in his care.

0

The spirit of the ring sat staring at the fabric of the sofa. Though he didn’t move, his mind was racing. So that spell could destroy 1 soul at a time, but apparently not 100. Perhaps the reason he survived was because the souls of Kul Elna shared the load rather than have all of that dark energy focused on one soul alone. He could tell from the pain he had endured that had his soul been forced to face off against such magic by itself, he wouldn’t still be here now. The thief king had to wonder had the pharaoh been hit by this curse if he’d have been destroyed. The souls that had been used to forge the millennium items were eager to protect the thief when his soul was in peril, but he couldn’t say the same would happen for the pharaoh. He was one of them after all, one of the many lives that had been uprooted in the massacre of Kul Elna. As the only survivor of the accursed ritual, it was his duty to bring about justice for his slaughtered people. They knew that well, and they would help him even if it took another three thousand years to achieve their revenge. 

The spirit of the ring pulled back his consciousness from the shared body, letting his host take over. He stood in the corridor of souls, staring at the light. Then he turned and started heading to the darkness, pausing a moment at the battered white door that led to his Yadonushi’s soul room. The door was soft white and worn out, not unlike his own worn door. But being worn was the only similarity. His yadonushi’s door wasn’t the type of shining white that reflected the light and blinded you when you saw it, but a gentle and warm white like a wispy cloud on a summer day. It looked just as fragile too. The thief brushed his fingers against the smooth wood and smirked. Even a wisp of a cloud could cast a shadow and block out the sun. Together they would definitely be able to defeat Ra’s chosen. The pharaoh wouldn’t stand a chance.

The spirit’s smile faded as he pulled his hand back and walked down into the darkness, fingers briefly flickering over the sturdy stone of his own door, as solid as ever. As was his resolve. Yes, he had his mission and he would use everything at his disposal to succeed. Even the light. He didn’t need some pathetic wraith of a half-life creature to help him. He also knew better than to trust the words of the one they called Voldemort. He knew the type. Take what you want and give nothing back. Just like the pharaoh’s father and all his toy soldiers. But the spirit was a king. A king of thieves, but still a king. He would not be used as a mere pawn. No, he was the one that used pawns. He was the one that would bend others to do his will, or he would achieve his goal alone.

The spirit glanced at the spot where he had fallen and his host had found him. He took a seat and leaned against a pile of gold coins pockmarked with the occasional gemstone. A serpent wound its way up his leg and across his lap, causing the thief king to glance down at the scaled beast. Ah, right. He wouldn’t do this truly alone, now would he?

“Aart hedj,” he spoke, voice near a whisper, but despite the softness of the sound, the serpent looked up at him with red eyes glinting the color of bloodied rubies. The thief reached out to touch the white creature, its glistening scales the color of bone with only two markings on its entire body – directly below the eyes, teardrops as black as ash. The reptile’s neck flattened, a hood fanning out as it hissed away the touch. That made the spirit chuckle. “Surely my Yadonushi would not have stepped foot in this room, had he known that the dangers of Egypt are a part of my very soul,” he mused, watching as the snake slithered away into the treasures of the room. 

The memory of his modern doppelganger standing in his ancient room still seemed so strange when he thought back on it. Perhaps his Yadonushi could grow to be more than a pawn in his plans. Rather than a throwaway piece, Ryou, with grooming, would be his knight in his battle against the Pharaoh. Until the day of that battle, he would protect the ring bearer from any enemies. The thief glanced at where the aart hedj had disappeared to. Yes, he’d protect Ryou. Even if that enemy was a dark magician with the eyes of a snake.

0

A wizened old wizard sat leaning back in his chair, thinking about the report he had recently received from the Order of the Phoenix. It was both a relief and a worry when he heard of the survival of one Ryou Bakura. On one hand an innocent life had escaped the clutches of an evil man, but on the other, his survival also meant the survival of a mysterious power that Voldemort craved. As painful and cruel as it seemed, it might have been better if Bakura had died and his shadow powers along with him.

“And you are sure, Severus…that he is no longer being hunted?” Dumbledore asked, his clear eyes glancing over his half-moon spectacles. The dark clad wizard across the room gave a nod.

“He thinks the boy dead. Had you seen what he did to the man who cast the curse, you would have no doubts of the Dark Lord’s beliefs,” Severus replied, curling his robes around himself. There was something that didn’t line up to the potions master though. “You trust your…dogs,” he sneered at the thought of Black and Lupin, “and truly believe Ryou bakura is in possession of a Horcrux? Even if his charm was such a thing, surely he was not the one who made it, and surely it should have been destroyed by the curse.” If the charm was destroyed because it was a horcrux instead of the boy, it would make sense that the boy survived, but from what he understood, both boy and necklace were relatively unharmed. It didn’t make any sense.

“Yes, had his ring been a horcrux, it would indeed be destroyed…but Severus, you are forgetting that Mr. Bakura is not your average wizard. That his pendant is most likely one of shadows, not of darkness.”

“….I fail to see the difference,” drawled the hook nosed wizard with a frown. 

Dumbledore folded his hands together, a twinkle in his eye. “A horcrux is, shall we say, a bastard version of a more ancient magic. I think you will find the 74th special edition of the Quibbler to be very enlightening,” he replied. Severus rolled his eyes.

“Spare me the nonsense. What truths could be find in such a ludicrous tabloid?” he frowned, but Dumbledore continued to smile.

“It is believed that the concept of the horcrux that we know today was based on magics of ancient civilizations. To be based on something of the past means that the past must have produced something worth basing something off of,” he said, ever so mysteriously. Sometimes Severus really disliked the way Dumbledore danced around a subject. His response was to just stare at the elder wizard in sullen silence until he explained.

“In short, Severus, a horcrux is an incomplete magic. What Ryou Bakura holds may be one of the original creations the horcrux was designed to mimic. A true, completed version, created three thousand years ago, when the legends of shadow magic were most rampant, and whose recipe has long since been lost.”

Severus Snape frowned at the old professor, taking this in. It wasn’t set in stone, he knew, and the professor was just theorizing….but Dumbledore was more often right than he was wrong.

“So the reason the boy survived then…?” Severus felt like he was pulling teeth, but here was where it became all theory. Here was where things fell into the unknown. Shadow magic was for the Unspeakables to debate about in the Department of Mysteries.

“Perhaps, if a horcrux can only be destroyed by magic as dark as was used to create it…then the Millennium Ring can only be destroyed by shadow magic.”

Millennium Ring? Severus blinked at the term. Dumbledore seemed to almost read his thoughts.

“Ah, along with the 74th special edition Quibbler, you should pick up ‘Ancient Egypt According To Muggles’. Quite a good read. I believe we have a few copies for our Muggle Studies class in the library,” smiled the man.

Severus nearly rolled his eyes, instead just muttering, “I’m sure.” But still a question burned in the potions professor. “Assuming shadow magic is, in fact, real, then how is exactly is it different from standard dark magic?” he asked.

“I’m afraid if I knew what made shadow magic what it was, it wouldn’t be the mystery that it is.”

Severus stared a moment longer at Albus Dumbledore before promptly turning around and walking out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HB Kit: ‘aart hedj’ means ‘white serpent’.


	30. Difference of Darkness

Ryou Bakura had been at Grimmauld Place for around 2 months now, under the care of one Sirius Black. It was already the end of April. Yet despite the length of time he’d been here, the place was still full of mystery. Sometimes he swore he’d thoroughly explored a room he had been in just the other day, only to find something new the very next day. Like the time he found a baby blue cotton ball….that was alive. The fluff ball followed him around for days after that. Until Buckbeak ate it.

Buckbeak was an extraordinary creature, and a dangerous one at that. Definitely the type of creature that caretakers should warn others about, especially when those others will be living with said creature. Unfortunately Sirius Black had forgotten about how proud a creature a hippogriff was. Ryou’s first encounter with Buckbeak had been a close one. He had walked into the room curiously only to be frozen in his tracks by the sight of the winged beast. The two stared at each other, as if trying to understand the other, but the longer Ryou just stood there like a bump on a log, the more agitated the beast became. He trilled and made a racket, pawing at the ground and spreading his wings wide – an intimidating display. Yet Ryou could only stand there like an idiot. When the hippogriff slashed out, it was the quick work of the thief king that allowed them to roll to the side to escape harm. Sirius came in a minute later to calm the animal and it was only then that Ryou got his lesson on hippogriff etiquette. He hadn’t had a problem since then, and now visiting Buckbeak was one of his favorite things to do when he wasn’t exploring or reading some of the dusty tomes scattered about the rooms.

Kreature was another interesting thing in the house. At first, Ryou avoided him. He had a feeling the house elf disliked him, and he surely didn’t want to get in the way of his work. He wasn’t sure what everything the house elf mumbled meant when he passed Ryou apart from the term ‘muggle’, but the knot in his stomach told him it was probably insults. That changed though when Kreature came upon Ryou training with the thief spirit in one of the top most rooms, far from Sirius in the kitchen. The shadows had scared Kreature at first, but ever since then, the elf didn’t mutter under his breath when he passed Ryou. Instead he’d just quietly stare at him with something that was curiosity mixed with awe before promptly making himself scarce.

Speaking of training, Ryou shuddered as he sat in the corner of a dank, dark room that had only one lit candle. The shadows the candle cast were darker than they should have been. When Ryou took a deep breath, the candle flickered and the shadows darkened, before he exhaled and the light returned to normal. Shadow meditation, the spirit called it. It was supposed to make him closer to their personal shadows. The coldness at first was unnerving but after a month of this, Ryou found an odd sort of comfort in the familiar chill. 

/That is because you are coming to terms with what is a part of you./

Ryou kept his eyes closed as he took another deep breath. The spirit of the ring had mentioned that before, but Ryou still disliked the idea that he had a darkness within him that he was supposed to be comfortable with.

/Everyone has darkness within them, but do not pretend that shadow and darkness are the same, Yadonushi. The dark is self-sustaining./

What did that mean? Shadows weren’t self-sustaining? That must have been what he meant. Ryou opened his eyes, watching the flickering candle in the dark of the room. His gaze went from the shadow the candle cast to the blackness of the room where the light didn’t reach. Was there really such a difference in the two? 

Ryou could feel the spirit trying to push him in the right direction. To see what he was missing. Darkness just existed from an absence of light, right? While shadows….

/ Shadows aren’t born of darkness, Yadonushi. They are darkness created from light. Without light, a shadow cannot exist, and the stronger the light, the stronger the shadow./

Ryou held up his hand to the candle, a dark shadow spreading across the ground.

“Shadows need the light to exist…so that’s the difference between the two. But I don’t understand. How does that affect the two types of magic?” Ryou wasn’t expecting this one to be answered. The thief wasn’t known for giving straight answers when it came to shadow magic. Ryou had asked before only to be laughed at. On cue, laughter echoed in his mind.

/I told you once before that I might tell you more of the shadows, Yadonushi. When you’re finally willing to embrace the shadows instead of push them away./

Was he ready to embrace the shadows that weren’t quite darkness? Ryou shuddered at the thought. The shadows of the room lightened and returned to normal instead of the inky blackness they had been just seconds ago. Silence was thick across the room. 

0

Harry Potter was lying in bed, idly messing around with the magical knife he had recently used in a grand plan to shed some light on their current situation. It had taken an age to figure out a way to break into Umbridge’s office after she took over the school and chased Dumbledore away. Everything was on lockdown….until the twins had a grand show with fireworks and portable swamps. He hoped they were doing well wherever they had flown off to.

With a sigh, he put his knife safely away for later use. It had done its job of helping him break in and talk to Sirius. He had been surprised to find out Remus Lupin was at his godfather’s place, but far more surprising was Ryou. Months of wondering, of fretting, of fearing the worst, and Ryou was safe and sound at Grimmauld.

But of course, why would anybody tell him that? It must be fun to watch him stress out about the potential horrible death of his friends.

He was getting side tracked. The important thing there was that Ryou was safe and sound.

Harry had no clue that Ryou had been struck by a killing curse recently, nor that the reason nobody told him of Ryou’s safety afterwards was to keep his survival a secret from Lord Voldemort. It was truly a shame Snape wasn’t giving Harry Occlumency lessons anymore.

0

“So you’ve just been stuck in here for years because everyone thinks you’re a murderer even though you’re not?” Ryou was sitting on a couch near a window, tilting his head as he looked at Sirius Black. The man gave a solemn smile. Ryou couldn’t even imagine how awful that must be. Trapped in one place for so long, not even allowed to walk the streets without people looking at you like you were a monster. At least Ryou could run away from those looks. Had in fact, and found friends who knew of his past and didn’t care. Sirius was stuck here though, and he was alone.

Well, not alone anymore. He and Ryou had really started to get used to each other being around. It was fun to hear the stories of the things Sirirus did with Harry’s father in their school days, and Sirius was easily entertained by various technological concepts he’d been out of the loop for, what with being hidden away after being wrongly imprisoned for over a decade. The concept of the duel disk and its ability to project fake monsters especially got him excited, talking about all the things he, James, and Remus could have done with that.

“Do you know how long I’ll be staying here? I can’t hide away like you can, Sirius. My father will worry. He’s probably worried now. It’s been ages since I’ve checked in,” Ryou frowned. Granted, this wouldn’t be the first time he hadn’t checked in with his father in weeks, but it hadn’t been weeks. It had been months. 

Sirius frowned. “I’m sorry, Ryou, but that I cannot say. Voldemort thinks you’re dead, but if any of his people spot you and recognize you, he’ll be hot on your trail again. I’m sure the Order would suggest you stay here, hidden until this war is over like they want with me,” Sirius seemed annoyed by the idea, though not because he disliked Ryou’s company. It was because he hated being stuck here. Ryou knew that much.

/If it comes down to it, Yadonushi, we will leave on our own. They cannot stop us from leaving./

Ryou wasn’t as confident that they couldn’t stop them if they wanted to, but he really couldn’t stay hidden away forever. Wars could take a lifetime, and he wasn’t too keen on giving up his remaining years unable to see his friends and family, stuck in a house that most people couldn’t even see.

“Don’t look so disheartened, Ryou. You went under that old dark wizard’s radar before. I bet you can do it again, if you happen to relocate,” Sirius winked. Almost like he was implying he thought Ryou should make a run for it if he truly felt the need for freedom, and that Sirius wasn’t going to stop him. But that couldn’t be right, surely. 

/….Orthos isn’t as bad as I thought./

0

/Focus. You’re not even trying, Yadonushi. Don’t ask. Command./

Ryou frowned. His eyes were closed as he gripped the millennium ring tightly in both hands, the eye facing up and the tines dangling uselessly around it. Not a single one lifted. He was supposed to be trying to make it point at a book across the room….it wasn’t working. 

“Maybe it knows I already know where the book is….so it’s not going to waste its time…” he offered with a sigh but the spirit scoffed in the back of his mind. 

/It has guided you to things before when you were aware of their location. Maybe if you actually tried,/

Ryou let out another puff of breath, dropping the ring and flopping to the ground. “I am trying, and all those other times, the ring pointed to stuff on its own, not because I asked it to. It’s only ever guided me to things it wants to show me…or that you tell it to show you,” he didn’t know why they were still trying with this. The spirit of the ring had tried to train Ryou to use the millennium ring properly once before and the results were just as unspectacular. Ryou was pretty sure he was a lost cause here. Maybe he just didn’t have magical talent.

/Don’t be absurd. If you didn’t have the potential, you’d be dead by now. I’d have ensured it./

“….thanks. That’s comforting,” he frowned. Then he felt a twitch against his chest. A quick glance showed one of the tines of the ring tugging downward, pointing. Ryou furrowed his brow. It wasn’t pointing to the book. It was pointing to something all its own. “….did…you tell it to do that?” he asked the spirit, but the thief hadn’t. 

/Follow it./

An order. Ryou was tempted to ignore it, having had enough of being barked at all day, but curiosity got the better of him. Hadn’t he just said the ring only pointed to things when it wanted to show him something? So he got up and followed. 

The ring guided him downstairs into a dusty little room. He had been in here before, sure, but he hadn’t spent much time in here. It didn’t really have anything interesting. At least, not in his opinion. There weren’t weird new creatures to discover or any interesting books to read. Just a dirty old bookcase full of genealogy and a family tree covering the wall. But the ring apparently thought he should give those books a more thorough look.

/There, Yadonushi. Look at the dust trail./

The spirit brought attention to where the tine of the ring pointed, and it was true. The bookshelf was covered in thick dust, except in front of one book. There the dust buildup was far thinner. Ryou tugged the book free and the ring continued to point at said book a moment more before dropping limp against his chest. Ok. Weird. What was so amazing about a book about Sirius’ great great great ancestors’ hair color? Ryou tilted his head before opening it up.

Inside was not what he expected. The pages had been carefully carved out so it wouldn’t be obvious from the outside. Where once words and family traits had been carefully listed now rested a silver locket with a snake etched onto it. Ryou blinked at it before reaching in and picking it up with delicate fingers. The second he touched the metal it made him shiver…and the spirit of the ring hissed in disgust.

“No! Not for the little master!” came a call from the door. Ryou spun around, the chain of the locket dangling from his hands. The house elf that roamed the place ran into the room and snatched the silver trinket before Ryou could even think, yanking it from Ryou’s fingers with unexpected force. Kreature clung to the locket, holding it desperately close and backing away. 

“I’m sorry, Kreature. I wasn’t going to do anything to it, I promise,” Ryou tried to console the elf, crouching down low and raising his hands in a placating gesture, “What is it? Do you know?”

Kreature frowned at him, keeping the silver snake well behind him. “Not for you. It belongs to the Black family. Don’t touch it,” the elf replied, voice nasty. Ryou was surprised by the animosity. He thought he’d gotten on…at least neutral terms with the house elf by now.

“I asked if you knew what it was, not who it belonged to, elf. Now give it to me,” the white haired boy’s eyes narrowed. He stood, body tensing. Kreature’s eyes widened in alarm before letting out a small call and snapping his fingers a second before Bakura launched himself. 

Bakura scowled as his fingers clenched empty air. 

/….What did you want the locket for, Koe?/

“To destroy it,” Bakura frowned, picking up the ring and willing it to point to the locket again, but the tines were changing their mind every minute. The little nuisance of an elf must be keeping it on his person and jumping around the stupid house.

/Why?/ Ryou didn’t understand. Yes, the locket gave him the chills, but it was hardly dangerous. Probably just a Black family heirloom.

“That locket wasn’t just a locket, Yadonushi. It was broken magic. Magic of the soul is reserved for the shadows. That little silver necklace is unstable and only half complete,” he folded his arms. Bakura was adept at soul magic. He could and had planted a piece of his soul in multiple things in the past. Of course he would recognize a soul fragment when he held one. This one wasn’t even attempting to be subtle like his own well hidden fragments. It was seething with energy, shredded at the edges and just barely contained. How dare someone make a mockery of true shadow magic with such a sloppy imitation?

/There was a soul in that locket? Like how yours is in the ring?/ Ryou asked as the spirit headed out of the room.

“No, Yadonushi. Not like the ring at all. The ring contains all parts of the soul. That soul wasn’t intact like I am. Unlike me, that soul cannot comprehend the world around it past self-preservation. It’s just a chunk of turbulent ka glued to a makeshift shuet.” The spirit was almost positive that what they just held was what the magicians here referred to as a ‘horcrux’.

Ryou knew the Egyptians believed there were five parts of the soul. The ka was the part that contained the spark of life. Without it you were dead plain and simple, but so long as your ka was still in the world of the living, so were you. The shuet was the more curious bit. The shuet was the part of the soul that kept you grounded in the living world. It showed as your shadow, your proof of existence in the physical world. Ryou knew the soul could be completely removed and attached to a new shuet – the spirit of the ring had proven that before. However, he had been unaware that you could attach a piece of your soul to a new shuet and have two things keeping your ka grounded at one time. Heck, Ryou had been unaware that you could tear your soul at all.

/Who’s soul was it?/

“I can’t say. Without the other parts of the soul, it was just essence clinging to life,” Bakura scowled at the wall. Yes, it was incomplete shadow magic, but how did the person who made it even do it? To create something as perfect as the Millennium Items had cost all the lives of Kul Elna, and Bakura was not going to let something like that happen again. He’d stab the person in the face who tried. It would be good practice for when he took revenge against the pharaoh.

Bakura continued to give the wall a dirty look as he contemplated this new found soul fragment. Could he track it down and banish the shred to the shadow realm where its ka could be devoured by monsters? Yes. Probably. Was it worth the effort of a vicious manhunt? No. He’d have destroyed it out of spite to be sure, but he wasn’t going to go out of his way to do it, especially when out of his way meant tracking down an annoying teleporting elf.

“Keep glaring at that wall, and you’ll make the paper peel,” a voice called, breaking Bakura from his thoughts, “well…more than it already has. So, what’s that look for?” Sirius smiled at the boy, and soon enough the scowl etched onto Bakura’s face melted into an easy smile in return.

“Hello, Sirius. It’s nothing important. I was just exploring and found a trinket, but Kreature yelled at me when I touched it and took off with it,” Ryou shrugged and Sirius nodded.

“Ah, yes, that little imp has been pilfering all sorts of my family’s possessions. Hiding them all about the house or in a nest somewhere I suspect. He started doing that when I started throwing things away,” Sirius placed a guiding hand on Ryou’s back, “Come on, it’s dinner time. You don’t want this old dog to eat alone do you?”

0

Sometime later, a few members of the Order of the Phoenix stopped by for a quick meeting. Dumbledore, now free from his duties as a headmaster, was even in attendance along with Remus Lupin, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and one frowning Alistor Moody.

Sirius watched Ryou head out of the room with a fond smile on his face. Having Ryou around was helping to liven up the place. Even old Kreature seemed to like him (or at least tolerated him more than anyone else that stepped into the house), which was speaking volumes since that house elf didn’t like anybody. What pleased Sirius the most though was that Ryou trusted him enough to wear his ring without trying to hide it at all. For the past few weeks now, it had been glinting openly in the dim light of Grimmauld Place, doing nothing but clinking the way jewelry does. Had he not seen it glowing previously, he’d have just dismissed it as a gaudy and unusual choice in fashion rather than a potentially powerful magical item.

“You’re growing too close to that boy. We don’t even know that much about him but that he’s wearing dark magic around his neck,” Moody frowned at Sirius, his own magical eye trailing Ryou Bakura through the door and towards the stairs. It was the strangest thing though. Normally his eye could track anyone no matter what was between them and no matter what they were hiding under, but not this Bakura. The second there was a barrier, his form became fuzzy to old mad eye, and the further away he got, the harder he was to see until eventually he couldn’t see him at all. Alistor didn’t like that. He didn’t like that one bit.

“And you are growing too paranoid. Ryou is a good kid. Even just spending a few months with him, I’m completely positive he’s not an evil minion of darkness trying to destroy the world. Geezus, Alistor, he is just a boy,” Sirius rolled his eyes, settling into a seat. 

“Age means nothing. The second you let age blind you from a potential threat is the second you are killed. Ryou Bakura has proven to be a fighter in the past,” Kingsley’s words only made Sirius scoff and roll his eyes a second time, “That standing, Alistor, even I have serious doubts he would ever try to bring us harm on purpose.” Kingsley had seen the fight in Ryou’s eyes all those months ago in the hospital, but he had also seen him with Harry Potter. Their interactions had been genuine to the auror. 

“Enough. We’re not here to discuss Ryou’s potential to stab us in our sleep, we’re here to talk about the thing that saved him from the killing curse,” Remus sighed, rubbing his temple. Already he felt a migraine coming on and they hadn’t even begun talking about anything serious yet.

“Right. The ancient Horcrux. You do realize if it’s anything like a modern day horcrux, there’s probably a chunk of soul in that ring trying to influence the boy. Just another reason to keep vigilant,”Alistor could only wonder whose soul was in there. Ancient or not, if it was a horcrux, that meant the soul belonged to a murderer. 

“Hold on, we don’t even know for sure if the ring is actually a horcrux. No reason to jump to conclusions,” Remus frowned and Moody huffed, “What we know is that it’s shadow magic. Don’t give me that look, Alistor. We know its shadow magic, and we know Ryou Bakura, being able to use the ring, is a shadow mage. What we don’t know is if the ring is responding to the boy’s magic, or if the ring itself is the source.”

“Well if is just the necklace and not the boy, then by destroying the ring we rid ourselves of a threat. If it is the boy and not the ring, then we rid ourselves of a weapon that could be used against us. Either way, we should destroy it,” Kingsley spoke, drawing the attention of the table. This was a better safe than sorry situation for him.

“And how would you suppose we do that? Going to whip up something more dark and destructive than the killing curse? It didn’t even warp the metal. Besides, I’ve watched Ryou with that ring for months, and apart from saving his life, it hasn’t done anything remotely dark to warrant destruction,” Sirius shook his head.

“Eliminating a horcrux isn’t easy, and if what the boy was implying before about it means anything, this one might be infinitely more difficult to do away with. Perhaps we don’t need to destroy it, but we should give some serious thoughts on taking it from Ryou and hiding it somewhere safe,” Remus suggested, but Sirius only scoffed.

“Oh yes, brilliant, take away the only protection he’s been able to use against Voldemort, there’s a smart idea. Besides, Ryou never parts with it. I seriously doubt you’ll be able to convince him to just hand it over to you,” he raised a brow at them. It was precious to Ryou, Sirius knew, and if he could help it, he’d rather it stay with the boy.

“We could take it now. He took it off,” Alistor grumbled.

“How do you know that? I thought you said you couldn’t see him in his room from down here,” Remus raised a brow at the auror across from him, making Moody scowl.

“Well apparently he’s not so fuzzy without that whatever it is hanging around his neck,” growled the man, his walking stick thudding against the ground, “I can’t see that blasted cursed metal at all, but the boy… I can make out a shadow of him now.”

“That only supports my theory that this millennium ring of his is the true source of the magical power he’s being hunted down for. It is probably the reason Ryou is such a magical anomaly. He shows all the signs of being a muggle and he’s never shown magical potential before the attack on his muggle school. I think the magic of his ring was re-awakened by the death eaters’ own magical presence. If it’s the ring that’s letting him hide from Alistor’s eye, then it’s most likely the ring that allows him to see Dementors, use a broomstick, and be immune to muggle repelling charms.”

“I have never heard of any type of magical item that could grant a muggle the abilities of a wizard. If such a thing were possible to craft, we wouldn’t have squibs,” Shacklebolt folded his hands against his chin in thought.

“Don’t write it off just because we haven’t seen it yet. There’s always a first for everything. Besides, that’s not the only thing that bloody necklace can do. If you recall, Sirius, you said it pointed to this place. Hidden, and by all normal means, undetectable. And even you, Albus, said that boy used floo powder to get to your office from his house in black flames instead of green. If we are to believe that’s all because of some ancient dark trinket and has no relation to the boy, then just imagine if there are more of them. Everyone just willy nilly breaking all the rules of magic. Everything we know we might as well throw out the window. We don’t even know the extent of this ring’s abilities. It might have more purposes, and all of those powers could be given to literally any fool walking down the street,” Alistor was sour and personally agreed with Kingsley to try to destroy the damn thing. Imagine, an army of death eaters that could get past any magical ward and hide from almost any type of magical detection. 

“You forget, Alistor, there was an incident while Mister Bakura was still at Hogwarts when another student attempted to wear the Millennium Ring. It did not let him,” Albus set his eyes on Moody and the table quieted. Yes, they had been informed of the student that had been impaled by the ring. 

“It didn’t let him, or the boy didn’t let him?” Moody narrowed his eyes, ever the skeptic. 

“It was most definitely the ring, Alistor. Ryou was, from my understanding, asleep on a different floor during the attack.”

“That proves nothing,” only Alistor seemed to still be set on seeing Ryou as a potential enemy here. The others were satiated by Albus assuring them of Ryou’s innocence in this particular matter, but on this matter only. 

“There was another incident in which a student was injured by the ring when it was separated from Ryou Bakura for too long as well. Not nearly as alarming. A simple anti-theft charm could be caste to create the same effect, but it did burn a student’s hands just a bit. I think, it is safe to say then, Alistor, that no, not any fool walking down the street would be able to use the ring.”

“Perhaps it’s like a fickle wand. Its allegiance might need to be won over before it can be used,” Kingsley suggested. 

“You think a killing curse wasn’t strong enough to win it over?” Remus raised a brow, “I’m pretty sure Ryou lost that fight completely, but the ring hasn’t rejected him yet.”

“Losing a fight may not be enough. It might require actual death. It is a dark relic from a dark time, Remus. It shouldn’t be a surprise if the rules regarding it are just as dark.”

Kingsley had a point. There were simply too many unknown factors here to say anything. All of their attempts at answers just unearthed more questions.

“Has anyone asked the boy himself about what he knows of his ring?” Kingsley asked the collected group. Eyes fell to Sirius, the one who spoke to him the most.

“He’s vague. The only things he’s told me is that its Egyptian, its ancient, and he’s had it with him for years. Anything else he just avoids giving me a real answer, and no, I don’t press it. He’s not a prisoner here, and I’m not his interrogator,” Sirius aimed that last bit at Moody.

“Perhaps you aren’t, but I am not above an interrogation if it means getting answers that could save the world,” he growled, mumbling something about a bumbling fool under his breath. 

Alistor had had enough of this nonsense. He gripped his walking stick and got up, starting to hobble towards the door.

“Where are you going?” Remus eyed him and Moody didn’t pause.

“An experiment. I’m going to go see that bloody ring for myself.”


End file.
